Justice
by Vinsmouse
Summary: He holds Cody responsible for what happened to his family, what will he do to obtain justice?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Violence, Angst

Rating: FRT

Summary: He holds Cody responsible for what happened to his family, what will he do to obtain justice?

A/N: References to the High Mountain Ranger episode; War Games and the Jesse Hawkes episode in which Cody walks into a bank robbery and is taken hostage.

Justice

Chapter 1

His face was a mask of stone as he fled the warden's office. It couldn't be true! She wouldn't have done it, they were lying, they had to be lying. Images of his pretty niece flashed through his mind; laughing at a party; chewing on the end of a pencil as she tried to solve a problem at work; screaming at her step-mother at the trial; lying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. He slammed the doors of his mind shut on the final image! He couldn't afford to show his grief here, the jackals within these walls wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of any weakness.

The guards did nothing to stop him. He was supposed to be in the kitchen now, not stalking through the corridors in the opposite direction. The warden must have told them about his loss. Finally he arrived at his destination; pushing open the door, he silently entered the prison library; the one place that had become his sanctuary. Absently picking up a newspaper, he made his way to a far corner; his corner. Flopping down on the chair, he tossed the paper onto the table in front of him. Shielding his face with his hands, he pretended to read the paper as he allowed the tears to flow.

She was gone, the last of his family, leaving him alone. He'd done all he could to save her, but it wasn't enough. Her grief and guilt had become too much. They had beaten at the defenses of her mind until she was overwhelmed and defeated. The warden's words returned to him; clipped words that told him nothing of the turmoil his niece had felt. He didn't need the words though, he knew from the letters she sent the sea of emotions she had been drowning in.

The sound of muted voices coming closer brought him back to the present. Quickly swiping away the tell-tale tears, he forced himself to focus on the paper. Maybe, he would later think, if he had seen the headline any other day things would have been different. Of course what if is a useless question and he, like most cons, knew it. The fact was, he did see the headline; giving him a focus for his grief, turning it to rage. BOUNTY HUNTER AND SONS FOIL BANK ROBBERY!

Reverend Crane spotted the man he had been searching for. Watching him, he recognized the attempt to hide his grief as the man pretended to read the paper. He wished there was more he could do for him, but within these walls showing weakness could get a man killed. The reverend sighed, he could at least give the man a few hours to let his grief show without fear of it being used against him. Sliding into the seat across from the grieving inmate, he cleared his throat. "I am sorry to hear of your loss," he said when the other man looked up.

"Thank you Reverend."

"Were you close?"

He nodded, "She was the last of my family."

"Would you like to attend the funeral?"

Quickly he dropped his gaze to the table, hiding the flash of glee that he knew would be there. "Do you think they'll let me?" he quietly asked.

"Of course, you would be guarded, I can do nothing about that."

"I understand Reverend; at least I'd get to say good-bye."

"I'll make the arrangements then." Standing up, he patted the other man on the back as he passed him, unaware of the plans for revenge already being formed.

The day of the funeral came and true to his word, the good reverend had gained permission for the grieving uncle to attend. The trip to the service went smoothly; the prisoner giving his guards no trouble at all. After the funeral, he was escorted to the back of what appeared to be an ordinary limo. The first guard slid into the car, followed by the prisoner and the other guard. A third guard was already in the car, ready to drive them back to the prison. As they drove along the coast highway, the men in the car were silent.

"It was a nice service, didn't you think?" he asked his guards.

Before either man could answer, the partition, separating front seat from back, slid down revealing an extra passenger. Two quick squeezes of a trigger and two darts flew from the tranquilizer gun; the men in the back seat fell unconscious. The whole thing took only a moment.

"Pull over," the man in the front ordered the remaining guard, shoving a 45 revolver into his ribs to make his point.

The guard gave no argument, he had a wife and son at home that he wasn't prepared to leave yet. Parking the car, he turned to the man beside him. "You won't get away with this."

The man only smiled as he fired a third dart, sending the driver into the arms of sleep. "There is a car hidden there," he informed the prisoner, pointing with his gun. "You will find everything you need inside."

"You'll take care of everything here?"

"Yes sir."

"How long do you think it will take the authorities to discover my escape?"

"They won't," the man replied.

"What do you have planned?"

"It's better if you don't know the details. You hired me to arrange your escape, trust me to do my job."

"I ended up in prison because I didn't know what another had planned, tell me what you have planned."

"Very well. I have acquired a body, a homeless man who fits your description. After you leave, he will take your place. There will be a horrible accident, no survivors and the bodies burnt beyond recognition."

"They'll know it's not me as soon as they check dental records."

"Why would they do that? After all, they know the identities of the men in this car and they will find a man in shackles who matches your height and weight. If they do decide to check though, records can be falsified. After today, Larry Rassy will cease to exist."

He grinned, "You've certainly earned your fee Mr. Smith." Released from his shackles, Larry climbed from the limo and jogged towards the hidden car. Quickly changing clothes, he slid behind the wheel and headed towards San Francisco.

Jesse looked again towards the loft where his youngest slept. "I don't know Matt, I think we should pass on this one."

A smirk grew on Matt's face, "It's just the flu Dad."

Jesse frowned, "I know, but I don't like the idea of leaving your brother alone while he's sick."

"We won't be gone that long, he'll be okay."

"You don't know that," Jesse pointed out. "What if it takes us longer to find Sullivan than we expect? What if Cody goes from having the flu to having pneumonia?"

Matt sighed heavily, he knew his father tended to be protective of Cody, especially after the ordeal of that bank robbery. Truth be told, he felt pretty protective of the kid himself but he knew his brother was starting to chafe under their attention. "Dad he's 17, not 7 and he's not stupid. Fact is, he's a lot more responsible than several grown men I've known. If he thinks he's getting sicker and needs a doctor, he'll go see one."

Jesse looked again towards the loft, he knew Matt was probably right. Nevertheless he found himself shaking his head, "No, I'm going to pass on Sullivan, let somebody else bring him in."

Cody had been coming down the stairs when he heard his father's words. "You can't do that Dad," he immediately protested.

"What are you doing up young man? You should be in bed resting," Jesse admonished, ignoring his son's protest.

"I was thirsty," Cody mumbled. "You're thinking about not going after Sullivan because of me, aren't you?"

Jesse sighed, "You're sick Cody, I don't like the idea of leaving you alone."

"It's just the flu Dad, I'll be fine."

"Of course you will, but I'll feel better if I stay here with you."

"Sullivan probably went up into the mountains, didn't he?"

"Probably," Matt answered when he saw that Jesse wasn't going to.

"You and Matt are the best chance there is of catching him, you have to go after him Dad."

"There are others just as capable..."

"No!" Cody snapped. "Look Dad I know you don't want to leave me alone and I appreciate it, but I'm not that sick. I heard you and Matt talking about Sullivan, what he did to those boys," Cody shuddered slightly as the words repeated in his mind. "Please Dad, don't let a monster like that get away."

Jesse hung his head, God he hadn't wanted Cody to know anything about Sullivan. The things the man had done to the boys he'd kidnapped...nobody should ever be subjected to anything so horrific. Jesse was beginning to think it had been a mistake to stay in the city. Cody had still been an innocent kid when they had arrived here, but each case they took stole a little more of that innocence away. Looking up, he saw the faith shining in the blue eyes of his son, faith in him and it took his breath. Cody had lost so much of his innocence here in San Francisco, Jesse didn't have the heart to take away the last of it with a betrayal of that faith. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Cody smiled, he knew his Dad would do the right thing. His father was too good of a man to let scum like Eric Sullivan go free. "I'll be fine Dad," he assured him.

"All right, but I think we should leave Ding here," Jesse decided.

"Dad you may need Ding up there to help you track this guy," Cody protested. "Besides, if you leave him then I have to take him for walks. Be kind of hard to rest," he grinned.

"You stay in bed and rest, drink..."

"Plenty of fluids, I know what to do Dad."

"Think you're pretty smart, don't you?" Jesse smirked.

"Well I did have a good education," Cody grinned.

Jesse chuckled, "Go to bed son, I'll bring you a glass of water."

It took Larry three days to find the warehouse in which the Hawkes family was living. He spent another two days watching the building, waiting for an opportunity to take his revenge. On the morning of the third day, his patience was rewarded as the older two Hawkes stepped out of the building. He could clearly hear them as they walked away, coming perilously close to his hiding place. For a moment he thought his hiding place had been discovered as their dog began to growl. Just as he was preparing to fight his way to freedom, a cat ran from the opposite corner of the alley in which he was hidden.

"Come on Ding," Jesse ordered. "We don't have time for this, come on Ding," he ordered again. He was about to reach for the leash he carried in his pack when the dog finally decided to obey.

Larry breathed a sigh of relief as the two men and dog walked away. So, the boy was sick with the flu and would probably be alone for at least a couple of days? That was good news, for him anyway. He was sure the brat would disagree, he thought, a malicious grin spreading over his face. As the men disappeared around the corner, he wanted nothing more than to rush into the warehouse. He resisted the urge, forcing himself to remain patient for a little while longer. It wouldn't do to begin his revenge only to have Hawkes forget something and return to the warehouse. No, he had been patient this long, he could wait a couple more hours.

Inside the warehouse, Cody slept, unaware of the nightmare he was about to be plunged into.

TBC

Hope y'all liked chapter 1, please feed the muse with reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst, Violence, GRAPHIC TORTURE SCENES

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 2

It had been three hours since he had watched the older two Hawkes walk away. Certain that it was safe now, Larry crept towards the warehouse. Having learned many useful things in prison, he made short work of picking the lock. Hefting the bag he carried, Larry quietly entered the building, closing and locking the door behind him. A smile grew on his face as he took in the open interior of the warehouse, he could imagine how the boy's screams would echo in the cavernous room.

Slipping off his shoes, he crept through the building, silently cataloging the location of those things which might be of use to him. Satisfied that he had made a thorough investigation of the main floor, he quietly made his way up to the loft. He stared with hatred at the boy sleeping in the bed across the room. He had no right to be here, happy and with his family when Larry had been left alone. If the brat had just kept his nose out of their business, none of this would have happened, Larry thought. He ignored the tiny voice whispering that it was his brother who was to blame for everything.

Drawing a revolver from his waistband, he moved to the bed. Kneeling beside it, he brought the gun up, pressing it against the boy's temple and pulling back the hammer.

Cody wasn't sure what had woke him as he opened his eyes. The moment he did, he became aware of the other person in the room and the feel of cold metal against his skin. "Who are you? What do you want?" he nervously asked.

"I'm hurt," Larry sighed. "I would think you would remember a man whose life you destroyed," he snarled. Pulling the gun away, though he kept it aimed at the boy, he glared at the young man who now turned his head to face him.

Cody's eyes widened in shock, though he was able to keep the shock from his voice, "I didn't destroy your life. You and your brother did that all by yourselves." Cody didn't have time to regret the words as a large fist slammed into his cheek.

"Don't you talk about my brother," Larry snapped. Reaching into the bag he carried, he drew out a pair of handcuffs, "Turn over and put your hands behind you."

Cody considered refusing, but only for a second, one look into the barrel of the gun convinced him it would be a bad idea. Without a word he rolled onto his stomach and put his hands behind him. It was no surprise to feel the metal cuffs biting into his wrists a few seconds later.

Larry grabbed the boy's arm, flipping him roughly onto his back. The yelp from the brat when he landed on his cuffed wrists brought a smile of satisfaction to his face. Quickly, before the boy had the chance to move, he climbed onto the bed, straddling the boy and pinning him in place. Tucking the revolver into the waistband of his jeans, he reached down for his bag. "Ever seen one of these boy?"

Cody shook his head. He couldn't imagine what the contraption was for, but he had a feeling he wouldn't like it.

Larry held it up, stretching it out for the boy to get a better look at it. "It's called a ball gag, you're going to be wearing it for the next few hours at least. Now open wide," he smiled; it wasn't a smile that would make a person feel comfortable. The smile grew more malicious as Cody shook his head, refusing to open his mouth. "I was hoping you'd say that," he gleefully informed his prisoner. One punch to the side was all it took; Cody opened his mouth in a cry of pain and Larry shoved the ball home. Working quickly he secured the straps behind the boy's head, insuring the gag would remain in place until he removed it.

"It's a shame I have to gag you," there was real regret in his voice. "I'd much rather listen to you screaming, but what would the neighbors say?" Climbing off the bed, he jerked the boy to his feet. "Downstairs kid and don't try anything stupid," he ordered. Picking up his bag, he followed his prisoner down the stairs to the main floor.

Cody let out a grunt as he's suddenly shoved onto the couch. Shooting a glare at Larry, he watches with trepidation while the older man pulls out a long length of rope, tossing it over one of the beams high overhead.

"Bet you're wondering what I'm doing," Larry grinned. "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."

If he could have talked, Cody might have told him that was what worried him. Then again, maybe he wouldn't, he quickly reconsidered.

Finished with his task, Larry placed a footstool under the rope and stepped over to the couch. Jerking the boy to his feet, he dragged him to the footstool. He wasn't surprised when the boy's struggles became more intense the closer they moved to their destination. He also wasn't in the mood to put up with it, one swift blow to the abdomen, just below the diaphragm was enough to slow his struggles, allowing Larry to hoist him onto the footstool. Pulling the rope lower, he quickly slipped the noose over the boy's head.

Stepping away, he tugged on the other end of the rope, pulling the noose tight. He grinned as the boy's struggles instantly ceased. Tying the other end of the rope off, he moved closer, and checked the noose, making sure it was positioned correctly as well as tied correctly. He had, over the last few days of his imprisonment spoken to an inmate who had killed several people through the use of a noose. He had been surprised to learn that there were different types of hangman's knots. The only one that interested him though, was the one which would guarantee the victim a slow death by strangulation rather than a quick one with the snap of his neck. Satisfied that the knot was tied right, he reached for the key to the cuffs. "I'm going to release your hands now boy," he told him. "I know what you're thinking. You think you'll just slip that noose free and get away; I'm not that stupid boy. I've made sure you'll be too busy to slip the noose off," he grinned. As he released the cuffs, he used his foot to kick the stool away, leaving the boy hanging from the noose and struggling for breath. "Better grab that rope boy and haul yourself up, it's your only chance."

Cody's eyes bulged and his heart hammered with terror as the rope quickly cut off his air supply. He didn't need Larry's instruction, even if he could have heard it past the roaring in his ears. Instinct drove him now and it was instinct that had his hands scrabbling for purchase on the rope. Grabbing hold, he hoisted himself upward, relieving the pressure on his throat. Hanging there, he was reminded of the adage hanging on for dear life, it didn't seem so trite now as it had when he'd first heard it.

"You get to decide when and if you die boy," Larry whispered from behind him. He laughed, the shudders from the boy in front of him bringing him pleasure the like of which he hadn't felt for some time. Picking up a knife, he slipped it under the edge of Cody's shirt, slicing it open. Grabbing both sides, he ripped the fabric apart, exposing the boy's naked back. "Here's how it works boy," he began, reaching once more into the bag. "I will be giving you thirty lashes with a whip, if you can maintain your hold on the rope until I'm done you live; let go and you die. Simple isn't it? Of course you may yet live even if you let go, depending on how near the end I am when you lose your grip."

Cody tightened his grip on the rope just as the first strike landed across his back, bringing with it a fiery sting of pain. By the time the sixth strike landed he was screaming with pain, but thanks to the gag he wore all that was heard was a muffled groan. Please God help me! Send my dad home, please...I don't want to die, he silently prayed. His only answer was the feel of the whip landing on his pain filled back.

"Praying about now, aren't you?"

Cody nodded before he had time to think or wonder how Larry knew he was praying.

"He won't be sending you any help. God knows you're guilty of judging others and deserve to be punished. Judge not the Bible says, but you judged didn't you? You and your father, you decided that my brother was wrong to kill his wife's lover and because of that decision my whole family is gone. Now you're here in San Francisco chasing people down and forcing them back to jail, once more sitting in judgement. It isn't your place and because you cost me so much, God has given me the pleasure of carrying out your punishment."

Cody shook his head. The man was crazy, even if God thought he'd done something wrong he wouldn't punish him like this.

Larry didn't really believe what he was saying, it was just part of the game he was playing with the boy. "Shake your head all you want, it won't change the facts." Without another word, he continued the whipping. "Getting tired yet boy? All you have to do is let go and all of your pain stops," he taunted.

Cody shifted his grip, doing his best to keep holding the rope in spite of his sweat slickened hands and trembling arms. He wasn't sure how many more strikes he had to endure, he thought the count was up to around twenty-five. He couldn't tell anymore, the pain and the terror had driven him to the end of his rope. He choked back a laugh at the unintentional pun; it wasn't really funny anyway. Suddenly he felt his hands slipping. No! Please God no! Help me! Somebody, anybody, please. His silent pleas went unheard as the rope stung his hands as it slipped between them. Desperately he scrabbled for the rope. He had to get a better grip on it, he didn't want to die like this. Panic and terror increased the sweat, making it harder to keep a hold of the rope and creating a vicious circle. He heard Rassy's laughter as his hands finally slipped from the rope, leaving him dangling and gasping for air. The sting of the whip as it continued to lash his back stole what little air he managed to take in. His last thoughts were of the love he held for his family. As he slipped into the welcoming darkness the last thing he heard was the sound of a madman's laugh.

Larry pulled on the other end of the rope, releasing the tension and dropping the boy to the floor. Stepping over to him, he dropped to his knees beside him, checking anxiously for a pulse. The heavy sigh echoed in the large room. For a minute there, he'd thought his calculations had been off. Slipping the noose from the boy's neck, he cuffed the boy's wrists in front of him this time and quickly undid the hangman's knot. Pulling the end of the rope under the chain which connected the handcuffs he brought it up to meet the rope a few feet above the boy's head and tied a new knot. Stepping away from his victim, he moved back to the other end of the rope and pulled. Soon he had drawn the boy up until his arms were suspended above him and his toes just barely touched the floor. Securing the rope, he next grabbed some of the climbing rope that Hawkes left behind. Using two pieces of this rope, he tied one to each ankle and secured the boy's ankles to hooks on opposite sides of the room, leaving him spread eagled and helpless.

Stepping back, he took a moment to admire his handiwork. At least two days, that was how long he had in which to punish the boy before him. The ultimate punishment would have to wait until his family returned. It couldn't happen without them. Walking away from Cody, he picked up a bucket and poured an entire box of salt into the container before filling it with enough water to result in a strong mixture. He grinned maliciously as he picked up the bucket of salt water and threw it over the boy's back.

Cody came to consciousness with a scream as fire raced over his back. Glancing wildly around the room, he searched for the man who had been tormenting him.

"Looking for me?" Larry grinned, moving into Cody's line of sight. He enjoyed seeing the look of confusion on the boy's face. "What's the matter boy? Did you think you were dead? Bet you were hoping you were dead, that this was all over. No?"

Cody shook his head, he could never hope for that. As he became more alert, he noticed the change in his position. Looking up and then to the sides, he quickly took in the way he'd been tied this time. Taking as deep a breath as the ball gag would allow, he did his best to stop the fear induced shaking of his body. It was no use, each time he thought he had it under control, Rassy would step closer, renewing, with only his proximity, the terror that Cody couldn't rid himself of.

"Time for a new game," Larry smiled. "I wonder if you'll survive this one," he idly wondered. "This time I'll use a knife," he informed his prisoner as he let his eyes roam over the boy's body. "I think I'll need more skin for this game," he mumbled. The fear he could feel coming in waves from the boy was so thick he could almost taste it and he wanted more! He could have simply used his hands, the sweat pants the boy wore would have been easy enough to pull off. That, however, wouldn't have caused the level of fear the knife could induce. Pleasure surged through him like a living thing as he cut the pants from the boy's body, each whimper of fear from his victim increasing the pleasure he was feeling. Not wasting a moment, he quickly cut away the remains of the boy's shirt next.

"Let me explain the rules of this game boy. It's really very simple, I will make a small cut somewhere on your body, if you make any noise the next one will be a little deeper or a little longer. The only way to stop the cutting is to pass out, that will end the game. The question is, will you survive long enough for the next game?"

Cody braced himself as the knife moved closer, just barely managing to stifle any sound as the blade made a tiny cut on his chest.

"Very good, that means the next cut will be no deeper or longer," Larry praised him. After ten cuts and no sound, he was beginning to grow bored. "This is too easy," he complained. "I know what we need to make it challenging, a blindfold."

No! Not a blindfold, I'll never manage to keep quiet if I can't see the knife coming. As Larry came towards him with the black cloth he'd taken from his bag, Cody shook his head violently. He had to keep that blindfold off, if he didn't he was sure the cuts would soon grow deeper. It did no good, with his hands and feet secured as they were it was impossible to avoid the blindfold for long.

"Much better, now lets try this again." Retrieving his knife, he stepped forward. His eyes lit up with malicious pleasure as the boy's shaking increased. Laying the flat of the blade against Cody's chest, he laughed loudly as the boy jumped away, as far as his ropes would allow, from the contact. Before Cody could recover, he made another small cut. This time the silence was broken by a small cry of pain. "Aw and you were doing so well," he softly mocked. "You know what this means of course."

Cody sobbed from pain and terror. He wasn't sure how long he had been hanging here, it seemed like hours. Since the blindfold had been wrapped around his head, covering his eyes, the cuts had grown worse. He had tried to keep count, but after only a few more cuts on top of the initial ten he realized it was a hopeless task. The pain and the fear conspired to rob him of the ability to think, to reason. The last cut had felt like it went clear to the bone, though he had no way of knowing if this were true. The blindfold did more than take away his ability to brace himself for the cuts. It was as if without his sight he had lost all of his defenses, leaving him with nothing but pain, fear and hopelessness as his constant companions.

"It's dark now boy, all of the other warehouses around here are empty of workers. There will be nobody to hear your screams," Larry said as he reached for the straps on the ball gag.

Cody cried out as his jaws closed bringing about an instant cramping of the muscles in his face. He couldn't believe how much it hurt, the pain sharper than any cramp he'd ever felt, almost like a knife stabbing into his cheeks. The thought had barely entered his mind when the knife Rassy held plunged into his side. He screamed at the unexpected pain.

Larry grinned, enjoying the sound of the boy's screams. He'd been right, they echoed off the walls of the warehouse in a very satisfying way. It wasn't enough. He wanted more, he would have more. Twisting the knife, he laughed with joy as his victim screamed even louder than before. With each scream he twisted the knife again, stopping only when the boy finally passed out.

"What's on your mind Dad?" Matt asked as they set up camp on their first night in the mountains.

Jesse sighed, "I don't think we should have left your brother alone."

It was Matt's turn to sigh, "We've been over this Dad. Cody is perfectly capable of looking after himself, isn't that what you used to tell me when you lived up on the mountain?"

"Yeah it is, but things are different now."

"Just where we live, Cody is still a smart, capable young man. But if you tell him I said that, I'll deny it."

Jesse chuckled, "You're right. I guess I'm just worrying for nothing."

"Of course you are," Matt smiled.

Far away, a madman leaned in closer. Inhaling deeply, he reveled in the smell of his victim's blood. He knew he should close the wounds before the boy bled to death. The only stove in the place was a portable device that looked a lot like a microwave. It wasn't though, it was actually an oven with two burners on top, it was also electric and therefore was useless to him. He would just have to build a fire, that was all there was to it. Gathering a few things, he built a small fire in the center of the room. Looking over his shoulder at his victim, he smiled in anticipation as he shoved the knife blade into the flames. Heating it until the steel began to change color, he was already hearing the screams to come. Pulling the knife from the flames, he walked over to where his victim hung, bleeding from several cuts and pulled the blindfold down as he pressed the knife against the cut on the boy's side.

A scream tore from his throat as pain, even more intense than the cuts, dragged him from the safety of unconsciousness. He twisted and turned in his bonds, struggling to escape the pain and the smell of burning flesh.

"Have to stop the bleeding boy, don't want you dying on me...yet." Smiling, Larry again brought the hot metal down over one of the deeper cuts. The sound of Cody's screams brought a larger smile. "Well boy, looks like that's all of the deep cuts. Now these real little cuts, they've already stopped bleeding so I guess we can leave them alone. I'm gonna have to think about these in between cuts though. They're still bleeding, not much though. So should I stop the bleeding by cauterizing or should I use another, non painful method?"

"Please don't burn me, please I can't stand any more," Cody begged.

"You can't?" Larry asked, sounding surprised. "I thought you were a brave boy, aren't you? Sure ya are, you can stand a little more pain can't you boy?"

"No, please don't," he sobbed.

"You telling me you're not brave?"

"Yes," Cody replied, his face coloring with shame.

"Yes what?" Larry snarled, bringing the still hot knife closer.

"Yes I'm telling you I'm not brave, please don't do it."

"You're pathetic boy," Larry sneered. "Bet your daddy would be ashamed of ya, sobbing like a little girl. You think he'd be ashamed of you little girl?" Larry taunted.

Cody opened his mouth to deny it, to protest the degrading knickname, only to be confronted with the sight of the hot knife moving towards his skin. "Yes, he'd be ashamed of me," he softly agreed.

"You want me to stop the bleeding without pain? Is that what my little girl wants?"

Cody nodded.

"Say it, tell me what my little girl wants," Larry coldly ordered.

"I want you to stop the bleeding without pain, please."

"Who wants me to stop the bleeding?"

Cody looked away, he couldn't say it. His gasp of pain was followed quickly by a scream as the knife again burned one of the cuts. "Your little girl wants you to stop the bleeding without pain, please don't burn me again," he shamefully begged.

"There now, that wasn't so hard was it?"

"No," Cody agreed, sure that was what the man wanted.

Larry tossed the knife to the floor. This was going to be fun, the boy might very well be more traumatized by this than anything else he'd yet done. "Did you know I can smell your fear little girl? It's in your sweat and in your blood. The smell of your fear is intoxicating, did you know that little girl? No? Well it is, I can almost taste it. I wonder what it tastes like?" Leaning closer, he began to lick at the small cuts that still bled. Drawing back, he grinned through blood-stained lips at his victim. "Your fear is delicious little girl, would you like to taste it?"

"No, no, don't," Cody quickly replied, shaking his head violently.

"Shall I continue tasting your fear little girl, or should I go back to burning? You must decide."

Cody shuddered, how could he make the choice. Pain or perversion, both were horrifying in their own way. Though he hated the thought, he knew that the pain would only weaken him more. "Don't burn me, please."

"So you would like me to continue tasting your fear, licking your body?"

He could only nod, dropping his eyes to the floor.

"Ask me, nicely little girl and I want to know who wants it, do you understand?"

"Yes," Cody whispered. Swallowing audibly, he licked suddenly dry lips. Taking a deep breath, he forced the words from his throat. "Please, your little girl wants you to keep tasting her fear and licking her body." With a sob, Cody closed his eyes, unable to watch as his tormentor bent forward, running his tongue over the still bleeding cuts. With each stroke of the man's tongue, his sobs grew as he silently prayed for help that wasn't coming.

TBC

Please feed the muse with reviews.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst, Violence, GRAPHIC TORTURE SCENES

Italics indicate thoughts or a flashback

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 3

Cody lay on his bed, his hands once again cuffed behind him, ropes draped over his body and drawn under the bed, tying him in place. He tried to sleep, knowing he would need his energy to face whatever Rassy had planned for the next day. The pain, the smell and the memories conspired to keep him awake.

_Rassy had finally tired of licking the bleeding wounds on his body. Unfortunately, this meant he turned to other methods of tormenting him. Cody had thought the man couldn't do any worse to him. Of course he'd been proven wrong. Before he'd had the chance to catch his breath, so to speak, Rassy had begun with the next torture. _

Cody shuddered as he remembered the look of pure pleasure on the older man's face as he inflicted him with the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt.

_"I wonder how long you'll last before you pass out little girl," Rassy smirked._

_"Leave me alone," Cody mumbled._

_"Oh, I couldn't do that." Stepping over to where his bag lay, he reached inside, searching, for what Cody didn't know. It didn't take him long to find it, turning he walked back to where Cody hung, suspended helplessly from the ropes. In his hand he held a simple pair of pliers._

_Scenes from a movie he'd scene at Jamie Logan's one night on the late show flashed through Cody's mind, bringing an involuntary shudder from him. "Whwhat are you dddoing with ththose?" he stuttered._

_Rassy smiled at him. It was a cold smile, devoid of emotion. "These? Are you sure you want to know little girl?" He laughed when Cody began to tremble with fear, shaking his head in the negative. "I'm afraid you'll have to find out anyway," he told him with mock sympathy. Pulling a chair over, he climbed on it so he could easily reach Cody's bound hands. Without a word of warning, he latched onto a nail with the pliers and yanked. The removal of the boy's fingernail was accompanied by an earth shattering scream of pure agony._

_His scream had barely ended when he felt the pliers latch onto a nail on his other hand. The feel of his nail being ripped from his finger seared through him, imprinting on his mind. It was something he knew he'd never forget, if he lived through this._

_The screams attracted the attention of a street person; an older man named Gabe. He had been one of those Jesse and Cody had helped when they first came to San Francisco. Cody didn't know what he was doing in the area, he had probably been coming to see if he could spend the unseasonably chilly night in the warehouse. Somehow he had gotten into the building, Cody heard his outraged, horrified yell and looked up. _

_He stared in helpless terror as Rassy quickly defeated the old man. Dragging the elderly man over to where Cody hung, he forced Gabe to stand directly in front of him. The other man stood so close to Cody, he could smell the onions on the man's breath. _

_"It's your fault this is happening Cody," Rassy declared. "If you had been quiet this poor old man would never have come in here. I wouldn't have had to do this," he said as he dragged a knife across Gabe's throat. Blood sprayed from the cut, covering Cody's chest and face with splatter._

_He could do nothing to avoid the blood. His eyes were wide in his pale face, the words Rassy said echoing in his mind as he watched an innocent man die before him. Sinking into shock, he didn't even respond when his tormentor reached for another nail. Not a whimper escaped as Rassy began to pull the nail from his finger._

_Disgusted, Larry stopped before the nail was removed. "It isn't any fun kid if you're not going to react," he complained_.

Rassy had gotten rid of Gabe's body, though Cody didn't know where he'd put it. He'd returned a little while later and taken Cody down from where he'd spent most of the day and moved him to his bed. The combination of shock and muscles that trembled as they tried to recover from being kept in one position for so long, kept Cody from struggling as he was moved.

It hadn't taken Jesse and Matt long to find Sullivan's trail. The man might have experience in the woods, but he was far from an expert, allowing the Hawkes' to easily track him. Unfortunately darkness approached before they caught up to him, forcing them to make camp.

Jesse grinned as his oldest grumbled under his breath about the necessity of making a cold camp. He knew Matt understood the reasons for it, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Truth was, Jesse didn't like it either, not that he was going to let his son know that.

As the night grew cooler, the two men huddled into their sleeping bags. They never knew if Sullivan didn't realize they were so close or if he didn't understand how far the light of a fire could be seen away from city lights. Whichever the case, the fugitive they sought had built a campfire, providing a beacon for any pursuers.

"Dad," Matt hissed.

"What is it son?"

"Is that what I think it is?" Matt pointed in the direction of the fire.

Jesse stared, like his son he could hardly believe Sullivan was that stupid. He looked up, the light of the full moon should be enough to allow them to travel safely. It was difficult to be sure, the darkness distorting the ability to measure distance, but he didn't think the fire was more than a couple of miles away. "Get up son, we're breaking camp."

It didn't take them long to gather everything up, neither man had brought more than absolutely necessary. Calling Ding, Jesse led the way through the woods. Moving slowly, due to the darkness, it took them forty-five minutes to travel a distance that would normally have only taken half that time.

Eric Sullivan rolled over in his sleeping bag. He stared into the barrel of a pistol, "I ain't got any money."

"We're not interested in your money," Jesse growled. "Get out of the sleeping bag, slowly," he ordered.

"Who are you?" Sullivan asked as he obeyed the order.

"On your knees, hands locked behind your head." He waited for Sullivan to comply; he nodded to his son.

Matt stepped forward, quickly cuffing the man's hands behind his back. Once Sullivan was secure, he searched him for weapons.

"We'll camp here for the night, take him back in the morning," Jesse decided.

"I can make it worth your while to let me go," Sullivan offered. Well aware of what happened to men like him in prison, he was desperate to remain free.

"There is nothing you can offer that would convince us to let you go," Jesse coldly informed him.

"Everybody has a price."

Jesse ignored him. He had seen the pictures and read the reports detailing the things done to Sullivan's victims. Even if he didn't have sons of his own, the youngest only a couple of years older than most of this monster's victims, he wouldn't have listened to the offer.

"What is it you want? Come on man, I can't go to prison. You know what'll happen to me in there?"

"I know exactly what will happen to you in prison. I'd have to say you deserve every bit of what you'll suffer."

"Who made you judge and jury?"

"You've already been judged, we're just making sure justice is carried out." Ignoring Sullivan's continued attempts to talk him into releasing him, Jesse settled down for some sleep. "Wake me in four hours Matt and I'll take watch."

"Sure thing Dad."

Morning came too soon for Cody. He had surprised himself by managing to sleep some, though it wasn't nearly enough. He woke with a gasp as ice cold water splashed over his back, reawakening the pain from the whipping he'd received the day before.

"Time to get up little girl," Larry laughed.

He reddened with shame, the memories of his pathetic behavior washing over him. The small amount of sleep he had gotten had restored him somewhat, giving him the strength to fight back. "I'm not a little girl," Cody snapped.

"That's not what you said last night," Larry taunted. "I know you remember begging me to lick the blood from your body. Bet your father and brother would be ashamed of you."

"Go to hell."

Larry grabbed the boy's hair, jerking his head up from the mattress. "You better watch how you talk to me boy."

"Or what? You'll torture me?"

"No, I'll torture your brother when he returns."

"You leave him alone," Cody yelled. He struggled uselessly against the ropes, fear for his brother making him desperate.

"What I do to your family is up to you," Larry calmly responded.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Larry smiled. "For now, it's time to get up and start the day." Cutting the ropes, he jerked Cody from the bed and forced him downstairs to the main room. He kept a firm grip on the boy's arm as he dragged him towards the kitchen area. "On your knees boy," a hard shove on Cody's shoulder insured his obedience. Grabbing up a piece of rope, he ran it under the cuffs on the boy's wrists and tied it to a support beam. "Wouldn't want you to wander off while I'm cooking," he smirked.

Cody glared at the man. If his hands were free he'd wipe that smirk off his face. Who are you trying to kid? After everything he did yesterday, you couldn't whip a three day old kitten, he told himself. There has to be something I can do, he thought as he looked around the room. I have to find a way to get free, I can't let Dad and Matt walk into this.

Larry nearly laughed out loud as he watched the boy. The kid had no idea how easy he was to read. "You won't be escaping," he calmly informed him. "There isn't anything you can do to protect yourself or your family."

"I don't understand you."

One eyebrow shot up, "Go on."

"It was your brother who killed that man and it was him that decided to try to kill me and my dad, so how can you blame me for what happened to your family?"

"You didn't have to testify against me," Larry growled. "If I hadn't been in prison, Janie wouldn't have been left alone to deal with everything by herself."

"You tried to kill me and my dad, what did you expect?"

"There you go again, sitting in judgment. Jack was my brother, I had to protect him. What right do you have to decide that's wrong?"

"What right did you have to decide my father and I should die? What right did your brother have to decide that man should die?"

Enraged, Larry swung the metal spatula, hot with grease, against Cody's back. The gasp of pain was like music to his ears; he wanted to hear more.

Cody bit his lip as the blows rained down on his unprotected back. There was nothing he could do to stop the blows, but he was determined that he wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of crying out.

Spent of his rage, Rassy stopped the beating as quickly as he had begun it. Becoming aware, once again, of his surroundings, he realized the air was filled with smoke. "Damn," he cursed over the burned eggs covering the bottom of the skillet. Picking up the pan he headed for the trash can. As he tipped the pan, a sudden thought occurred to him. Quickly righting the pan, he deposited the burnt eggs on a plate and using a fork, cut them into bite sized pieces. "Guess you get to eat after all boy," he smirked.

Cody stared at the plate of food Rassy sat on the floor. He shook his head, no way he was eating that slop.

"You got two choices boy, you can eat it or I can force it down your throat." He laughed at the glare Cody aimed his way.

"Can't eat with my hands cuffed behind me," he sullenly pointed out.

"Sure ya can," Larry grinned. "I cut it up for ya, you just bend over and eat it up like a dog...now!" He didn't wait to see if the order would be obeyed but turned back to the stove to cook his own breakfast. He meant what he said, if the boy didn't eat he'd force feed him. He was pretty sure it would only take a couple of bites fed to him that way to convince the kid to do as he was told.

Cody sighed, but he knew he didn't really have any choice in the matter. Having to eat like a dog was humiliating enough, being force fed by Rassy would be worse. With that in mind, he reluctantly bent forward and began to choke down the disgusting mess on his plate.

Larry turned off the stove and carried his plate to the table. "Guess you were right," he commented as he sat down. "You're not a little girl, you're a dog."

Cody held back the angry comment he wanted to throw at the man. Coward, a small voice accused. Ignoring the accusation his mind launched his way, he reminded himself that he would endure enough torture today, adding more to it wouldn't help him to escape, assuming he got the chance.

"After breakfast, your punishment will continue," Larry calmly informed his prisoner.

Jesse and Matt arose an hour before dawn. After a quick breakfast they broke camp and by the time the sun rose over the horizon they were ready to head out. Just as they had the night before, the two men ignored the offers and pleas coming from Sullivan.

"I hope your brother is feeling better," Jesse said as they hiked towards the road and the waiting truck.

"I'm sure he is Dad," Matt assured him. "You know when I had it, I was over it in 48 hours," he reminded Jesse.

"I know, and I know you think I'm being over protective..."

"Just a bit," Matt smiled.

"Maybe I am, but I've got a feeling that we need to get back home as quickly as we can."

Matt nodded, he was sure his dad's bad feeling was just a product of the recent bank heist in which Cody had been taken hostage. However, he had learned a long time ago not to argue with his father when he had one of his feelings.

Luckily it didn't take them long to reach the truck and by 9:00 they had dropped Sullivan off at the police station, filled out the paperwork and were on their way to the warehouse.

"I think we'll start with a repeat from yesterday," Larry said as he hauled Cody to his feet. Forcing the boy to walk, he led him back to where the rope still hung across the overhead beam. "On your knees boy," he ordered, shoving him to the floor. Pulling the rope downward, he again fashioned a hangman's noose. Putting the footstool under the noose, he jerked the boy to his feet and forced him onto the stool.

Cody struggled, but just like the day before, it did him no good. He soon found himself on the footstool, a noose around his neck and a ball gag in his mouth.

"Can't have your screams disturbing the neighbors, can we?" Larry taunted. "I wonder if you'll last as long today as you did yesterday," he absently mused as he tightened the other end of the rope. Picking up his whip, he tucked it under his arm so he could release the cuffs.

Suddenly the footstool was gone and he was scrabbling for the rope, desperate to keep his air from being cut off. He tried not to scream; it was an exercise in futility. As the whip lashed across his back, drawing blood, Cody's screams sounded from behind the ball gag.

Larry drew back, prepared to lay another stripe over the boy's back. The sound of a deep growl froze his hand. "Well looks like we're about to get company boy." He shoved the footstool back in place and quickly cuffed Cody's wrists behind him. Grabbing a knife, he waited.

"What is it Ding?" Jesse whispered, kneeling down next to the dog. Glancing around, he was trying to think what to do when he spotted a cat peaking out from a hole just below the door. Jesse chuckled at his own edginess. "Leave the cat alone Ding," he ordered as he unlocked the door.

Jesse Hawkes was the first one through the door, Larry noticed. He was followed closely by his older son and the family dog. "Call the dog off Hawkes," he ordered, pressing the knife he held into Cody's side in warning.

"Stand down Ding," Jesse ordered. His eyes never left the terror filled eyes of his youngest. "Let him go Rassy," he growled.

"You don't give the orders here Hawkes. You boy," he motioned to Matt, "get on your knees."

Matt glanced at his dad; a quick nod had him obeying the order. Staring in horror at his younger brother's battered body, he prayed his father had an idea of how they were going to get out of this. Silently he cursed the decision to put their guns in their packs.

"There's two pairs of cuffs in my bag there, get them out and cuff the boy's hands behind him."

"What do you want Rassy?" Jesse asked. Though he obeyed the order, he kept his eyes focused on the man giving the orders, looking for any opening.

"Justice! Now, after you restrain the dog, use the other pair and cuff your hands behind your back."

He hated to obey, but his only other option at this point was to rush the man holding his son hostage. It was a move that could only end with Cody's death; therefore it was a move he couldn't make. Reluctantly he did as he was told, kneeling next to Matt when Rassy indicated for him to.

"Lay down," Larry order the older two Hawkes. He smiled when his order was carried out, he knew it would be impossible for them to try anything from that position. At least, it would be impossible for them to succeed, he corrected. "Now boy, back to your punishment," the soft words were the only warning Cody got.

Cody stared as his father obeyed Rassy, making himself and Matt helpless to save him or themselves. He heard the words coming from beside him and then the footstool disappeared as his hands were freed.

"No! Stop it!" Jesse and Matt screamed as they watched helplessly. Each muffled scream was like a knife in their hearts. Horrified, they could only serve as witnesses to the cruel torture Rassy was inflicting on Cody.

"Damn boy, I think you might just make it," Larry commented as he brought the whip down for the twenty-eighth time. "Then again, maybe not," he smirked as Cody's sweat slicked hands lost their grip on the rope, leaving him dangling from the end of the rope, slowly suffocating. Twice more he brought the lash down before releasing the tension on the rope, dropping the boy to the floor. He wasted no time, quickly cuffing Cody's hands behind him once more and jerking him to his knees.

Cody swayed, barely conscious of what was going on around him. He could hear Rassy talking to his father and brother, but he wasn't able to make out the words.

"You bastard!" Jesse cursed him.

"That's not very wise Hawkes, cursing the man who holds your son's life in his hands."

"Why are you doing this?" Matt asked.

"I'll give you whatever you want, just let my sons go."

"No," he calmly refused Jesse's offer. "The why is simple, because of your brother I lost my entire family."

"It wasn't Cody's fault," Matt argued. "If you want to blame somebody, blame your brother for murdering that man in cold blood. That was what destroyed your family, not Cody."

"That's what he said, but he could have refused to press charges against me. Both of you could have," he added, glaring at Jesse.

"It wouldn't have mattered Rassy, you were an accessory to murder after the fact. Even if Cody and I hadn't pressed attempted murder charges, the state would have gotten you for the accessory charges."

"Not if you and your son had refused to testify."

"I understand how hard it was to lose your family Rassy, but you're blaming the wrong people."

"Shut up! It's time for justice to be carried out," he snapped. Reaching down, he released the ball gag. "Choose boy," he ordered.

Cody looked up at him, confusion written on his face. "Choose?"

"Who dies first, your father or brother?"

"I, you expect...I can't," Cody stuttered, shaking his head.

Larry smiled coldly. "You make the choice and I'll slit their throats so they die fast. If I choose, I'll make sure they die slow."

"No, please...I can't...please just kill me, not them, please don't kill them," Cody plead through his tears.

"If that's the way you want it," Rassy shrugged. Stepping over to the men, he began to chant. "Eeeney, meeney, miney, mo..."

"No! Please don't, I'll do anything you want just don't kill them."

Larry stopped, shooting a glance over his shoulder at the boy as if he were considering his offer. "There's nothing you could offer." Turning back to the two men lying on the floor, he again began to chant.

"I'll go with you, anywhere you want and you can punish me everyday for the rest of your life," Cody desperately offered.

Larry stopped again, this time honestly considering the offer, especially as the other two men began to protest. "If I take you with me, I'll expect you to be my slave and accept any punishment I decide on."

"I will," Cody promised.

"You will obey any order I give or I'll return and kill your family."

"I agree."

"Interesting proposal boy."

Cody waited nervously, silently praying the man would accept the offer. He hated the idea of going with him, of enduring a lifetime of pain and humiliation, but it was worth any amount of pain, if it would save his family.

"You will call me master, do you understand?"

Cody swallowed, "Yes master," he whispered.

"You will never again look me or anybody else in the eye, a slave isn't worthy of looking at others as his equal, do you understand?"

Cody quickly dropped his eyes to the floor, "Yes master."

"You will not speak unless I give you permission or ask you a direct question, do you understand?"

"Yes master," he was barely able to get the words out.

"Very good dog, I accept your offer. I want you face down on the floor."

Not daring to hesitate, Cody lay down as best as he could and waited.

"I'll be right back." Quickly Larry climbed the stairs to find the boy a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Cody son, how badly hurt are you?" Jesse softly asked.

"It doesn't matter," Cody replied just as softly.

"It matters Cody, I just wish there was something I could do for you." Jesse glanced towards the steps before continuing. "I don't care what you promised him son, I want you to escape as soon as you can."

Before Cody could respond, Larry came back down the steps. Reaching down, he jerked Cody to his feet and released the cuffs. "Put these on," he ordered, tossing him the clothes. He smiled as the boy immediately obeyed him.

Moving as quickly as he could, which wasn't very, Cody pulled the clothes on. He ignored the discomfort the of the cloth on his wounds. Finished dressing, he stood passively, his eyes on the floor as he waited for the next command.

"Pack me some food dog," Larry ordered as he began to gather his things together. It didn't take him long to pack his bag, allowing him to watch as the boy obediently loaded a duffel bag with food. "That's enough food dog, time to go."

Keeping his head down, Cody picked up the bag and let Rassy lead him out the door. Though he'd promised to obey, his captor still kept a tight hold on his arm as they walked to the car Rassy had hidden in an alley.

"Put the bag in the back seat." Larry opened the back door so the order could be carried out. He waited for the boy to set the bag down, pulling him towards the back of the car after he did. "Get in the trunk," he ordered as he opened it. The moment the boy climbed into the trunk, he shut the lid and got in the car. Starting the motor, he drove around the block a couple of times before parking directly in front of the door of the warehouse. If this was going to work, the boy had to believe they were simply stopped at a red light. Carefully climbing out of the car, he made sure there was no noise to indicate to the boy that he was leaving.

With equal caution, he opened the warehouse and stepped back inside. "Miss me," he taunted at the two men as they attempted to scoot towards the phone.

"You bastard, what have you done with my son?" Jesse yelled.

"Thank you for volunteering Hawkes," Larry smirked. Stepping over to the man, he flipped him onto his back and without warning plunged the knife into his abdomen. "Can't have you coming after us." It only took him a moment to give Matt the same treatment. Leaving the two men lying on the floor, slowly bleeding to death, he returned to his car and drove away.

TBC

I know, I know, another cliff hanger. I just can't help myself, I see cliff and I have to hang him. ;) Hope y'all liked it. Please feed the muse with reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst, Violence

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 4

Marty Clark pulled up next to the warehouse he owned. He had been wondering how the Hawkes family was coming along with the renovations and today seemed like as good of a day as any to find out. Knocking on the door, but there was no answer. He'd seen Jesse's truck, so he knew they were here. Maybe they were working and couldn't hear him knocking. With that in mind, he opened the door and peaked inside. "Oh God," he cried out as he took in the sight before him. Rushing to the two fallen men, he quickly checked them for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when he found it. Both men were bleeding heavily and their pulses were weak, but they were still alive. Marty didn't waste a moment; pulling out his cell phone he called the police and an ambulance.

Jesse felt a hand on his shoulder, "Cody?" he weakly called.

"No Jesse, it's Marty Clark. You lay still, there's help on the way."

"Cody...find him," Jesse ground out as he tried and failed to sit up.

"I'll find him Jesse, you just lay still," Marty assured him. As he shifted to push himself to his feet, Jesse's voice stopped him.

"Took him."

"Somebody took Cody?"

Jesse nodded, he was rapidly losing strength and with it the ability to speak.

"Do you know who?" Marty asked, but it was already too late. Jesse's eyes slid closed, his battle to remain conscious lost. At the sound of sirens he rose to his feet and headed outside. Directing the ambulance crew and police inside, he stood back out of the way.

"Mr. Clark is it?"

"Yes sir," Marty confirmed.

"I'm Detective Simms, can you tell me what happened here?"

Marty sighed, "I don't really know. I own the building and I just came by to see how Jesse and the boys were coming along with the renovations. I didn't get any answer to my knock, but that's not real unusual."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, a lot of times they'll be working and not hear me. So I opened the door and," he shuddered slightly.

"You said Jesse and the boys?"

"Yeah, Jesse and his sons have been renovating the place for me."

"Our two victims are?

"Jesse Hawkes and his oldest son Matt."

"Do you think his younger son could have..."

"No!" Marty nearly yelled. "Jesse said somebody took him," he continued, forcing himself to calm down.

"He was awake?"

"Only for a minute and he didn't say much. Just to find Cody and that whoever did this took him."

"Did he tell you who it was?"

"No, he passed out again."

Simms sighed, he should have known it wouldn't be that easy, but a man can hope. "Can you tell me what Cody looks like?"

"Yeah, in fact Jesse should have a picture around here somewhere." Glancing around the room, he searched in vain for a photo of Cody. Rubbing his hand thoughtfully over his grizzled face he suggested that there might be one upstairs.

"We'll look in a minute, but for now could give me a description?"

Marty nodded, quickly giving the middle-aged detective a description of the missing boy. By the time he finished talking to the detective, Jesse and Matt were on their way to the hospital.

Larry drove for sometime before finally pulling up in front of a small cabin that set well back from the road, safe from prying eyes. Pulling Cody from the trunk, he shoved him towards the cabin. "This is your new home dog." Giving the boy a final shove, his laughter rang out as Cody fell to his knees on the hardwood floor of the house. "Let me see your hands."

Cody didn't dare argue. Nervously, he held up his hands to Rassy. He couldn't help the sigh of relief when all the man did was unlock one of the cuffs.

"Good start," Larry complimented the boy. "Now I want you to go over to the stairs and cuff yourself to the railing." He grinned at the flash of defiance in his slave's eyes. Good, a little defiance would make breaking him more fun. "Good dog," he praised when the boy obeyed the order. "I wasn't planning to bring you here with me so I need to go out and buy a few things. I would take you with me, but I can't take the chance that you'll decide to bang on the trunk lid to get somebody's attention. So, you'll stay here and to be on the safe side I think I better put the ball gag back on."

The moment Rassy left the cabin, Cody began to struggle against the cuffs. He was hoping he could manage to pull the post he was cuffed to loose. It didn't take him long to discover that the rail was entirely too strong to succeed. With that failure, he got busy on trying to work his hands through the cuffs. By the time Rassy returned, he had only managed to bloody his wrists and wear himself out.

"I'm not surprised you tried to escape," Larry smiled as he looked down at him. "You know this means I'll have to punish you now?"

Cody glared at him, knowing the man needed no excuse for punishing him.

"First though, I need to put some things away." Smiling to himself, he headed into the kitchen where he began to put away some of the things he had bought. It didn't take long; he grinned as he imagined the look on the boy's face when he saw what all he'd bought. Walking over to the boy, he drew an item from the bag he carried. "Time to make your new status official," he grinned as he fastened the collar around Cody's neck, locking it in place with a small padlock, such as might be on a diary. It wasn't very big, true, but it was big enough for this purpose.

Reaching down, he undid the boy's cuffs and stepped back. "The gag remains in place for now," he calmly ordered.

The moment his hands were released, Cody reached for the straps of the gag, stopping when ordered. Keeping his eyes down, he wondered what other humiliations Rassy would inflict on him.

"Dogs don't wear clothes, strip."

Reluctantly Cody did as he was told, immediately covering himself with his hands.

Larry laughed, "I ain't interested in your virtue boy, but that don't mean you got the right to modesty. You're a slave, you have no rights. Move your hands," he coldly ordered. As he'd told the boy, he had no interest in him sexually but he wasn't above using any means at his disposal to break and control him. "That's better, now go in the kitchen and make me something to eat."

Cody obeyed, though every fiber of his being was screaming at him to refuse. He hoped for the chance to escape, but he wouldn't try unless he was sure that Rassy wouldn't be able to go after his family. Fully aware of the man standing in the doorway, watching him, he went about making lunch.

Rassy walked to the cabinet and pulled out a dog dish, filling one side with water, he emptied a can of dog food into the other side and sat it on the floor. "Crawl over here dog." Smiling, he took in the sick look on the boy's face as he reached to remove the gag. "This is your lunch, eat up."

Cody looked up at him, "You're kidding me." His head whipped to the side from the impact of the backhand Rassy delivered.

"Already forgetting the rules? You don't speak without permission, unless I ask you a direct question and you will call me master. Do you understand?"

"Yes master," Cody replied, after only a moment's hesitation.

"Good. Now as I was saying this is your lunch; you will eat it," he coldly ordered. Turning away, he walked back to the table and his own lunch. "Oh and I suggest you keep it down or you'll be eating your own vomit next."

Cody fought back the sick feeling, knowing that Rassy was serious. His stomach roiled at the thought of eating the dog food, but he realized there was no choice. Reluctantly, he scooped up a handful of food. Cody yelped, holding his hand to his chest.

Larry grabbed a wooden spoon from the counter, using it to slap the food from the boy's hand. "You're a dog, I expect you to eat like one."

Cody nodded and lowered his head to the food dish. It was awful, still he ate it, somehow managing to choke it down. Having eaten as quickly as he could, the only way he was able to get it down, he was done long before Rassy.

Larry glanced over at the boy, "If you're done, start cleaning the kitchen." He returned to his meal, not waiting to see if his order would be carried out.

"Come over here boy," he commanded a short while later. "On your hands and knees," smiling when the order was obeyed. "It's time to instruct you on your behavior. As I've already told you, no speaking without permission, unless asked a direct question. You will address me as master and you will never again look me or anybody else in the eye. You're a slave, a dog and you will behave as such. From now on you will only be allowed to stand when the chore you are performing requires it; otherwise you will remain on your hands and knees. Do you understand?"

"Yes master," came the quiet reply. What else could he say? Arguing would only result in punishment for himself and perhaps worse for his family.

"Good, now come into the living room with me." Standing up, he led the way into the other room and to the bag he had left there. "I have something here to complete your look," he smirked as he drew an object from the bag.

Cody's eyes widened, that couldn't be what it looked like. Shaking his head, he instinctively moved away from the man before him.

"Stop! Good dog," he praised when Cody stopped. "I think you've figured out what this is, haven't you?"

"I think so master."

"What do you think it is?"

Cody swallowed past the lump in his throat, "It looks like a tail master."

"That's exactly what it is," Larry smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile. "I'll be kind and apply lube to the plug," he continued as he put actions to words. It was the only concession he made, the moment he had the plug ready he shoved it into place, enjoying the sound of pain coming from his slave. "That's better, now you look more like a dog should. You are never to remove your tail, if you need it removed you will come to me and I will take care of it. Do you understand?"

"Yes master," Cody stuttered.

"Good, now time for your punishment..."

It took three days for either of the Hawkes to become coherent enough to answer questions. During that time the police had issued an alert on Cody, but beyond that there wasn't much they could do without more information. Detective Terry Simms rushed down the hospital corridor, praying that the men he was coming to see would be able to tell him something useful.

Pushing open the door to the shared room, he quickly introduced himself.

"Have you found Cody yet?" Jesse asked as soon as he knew who he was talking to.

"No sir, I'm sorry we haven't," Simms apologized. A father himself, he hated the fact that he couldn't give the man in the bed better news. "I was hoping you could help us out with that."

Jesse nodded, "What do you need?"

"Do you know who took Cody?"

"Larry Rassy, he was supposed to be in prison on charges of accessory to murder and attempted murder."

"You had something to do with that?"

"Cody witnessed Rassy's brother murdering another man. He was spotted though and the whole family came after him. We were cut off and I had to send Cody out, alone, for help. He made it, obviously, but not before Rassy's son was killed. Rassy himself took the coward's way out, blew his brains out when he realized he was going to prison. Larry must have escaped somehow and came after Cody."

"Rassy the one that stabbed you both, or did he have help?"

"He did it, as far as I know he was alone. We came home and found him there with Cody, torturing him," Jesse growled. He could feel the rage building as he told the detective everything that had happened after they came home.

"Do you have any idea where he might have taken your son?"

"No, he didn't give us any hints at all."

"I'm sorry for all you've gone through Mr. Hawkes," Simms quietly offered.

"Thank you Detective Simms, but I'm more interested in what you're doing to find my son."

"Until now there wasn't much we could do except to issue an alert for Cody. Now that we know who took him we can start looking into the man's history. See if there's any likely places he might have taken Cody. Additionally, of course, we'll issue an APB for Larry Rassy as well. Even if he keeps your son out of sight, he'll have to get supplies somewhere, hopefully when he does he'll be spotted."

"You might want to suggest that if he is spotted and he's alone, that instead of trying to stop him, they follow him," Jesse suggested.

Simms was surprised by how calm the man in the bed was. He knew that if it were one of his kids who had been kidnapped by a madman there was no way he could manage the same feat. "Why is that?"

Jesse may have seemed calm to the detective, in actuality he was far from it. However, he knew that he couldn't help Cody if he allowed his fears for his son to overwhelm him. "Because if he's caught alone he might refuse to tell where Cody is." Jesse's tone clearly said he thought that would have been obvious.

"Good idea, I'll make sure that it's part of the alert. Do you have a number where I can reach you if I have any news?"

"No I don't, but I'll get a cell phone and give you the number."

"Okay, and will you be returning to the warehouse when you're released from here?"

"We're going looking for Cody as soon as we're able to," Jesse firmly replied.

"Mr. Hawkes that's not a good idea," Simms began, only to be interrupted.

"Detective Simms, no offense, but that is my boy out there being put through God only knows what kind of hell. I won't, I can't just sit back and wait for you to find him."

Terry sighed, he wasn't really surprised. He'd done his research on these men, "I won't say I'm happy with your decision, but as a father I understand it. At least you and your son are both experienced law enforcement," he conceded. "I do expect you to keep in touch with me though and share any leads you get."

"Of course," Jesse easily agreed, though he knew he had no intention of sharing any leads unless he thought they needed help.

"Thank you," Simms acknowledged. "I'll just get back to the station and get started on this new information. Good-bye Mr. Hawkes," he said.

"Good-bye Detective."

"How long are we going to wait Dad?" Matt asked the moment the detective left.

Jesse sighed, he wanted to get dressed and start looking right away. That would be foolish, no matter how much he would prefer action to waiting. "Until the doctor releases us from the hospital."

"Are you serious?" Matt yelped. He couldn't believe that his father was willing to wait like this.

"I know how you feel son, but we won't do Cody any good if we take off before we're healthy enough and collapse. I don't plan to wait too long, but I want us to have the best chance we can at finding your brother."

"Oh, that makes sense," Matt admitted. "Sorry for snapping at you," he quietly added.

"It's okay Matt, I understand how you feel, believe me. Of course being stuck in the hospital doesn't mean we can't start working."

"How?"

"I'll call McBride, ask him to start checking on places Rassy might own or have access to where he might take Cody. Hopefully by the time we get out of here we'll have some good leads to check out."

"I hope so," Matt sighed. Closing his eyes, he remembered the look of terror, mingled with determination, on his little brother's face as Rassy dragged him from the warehouse. He'd always known Cody was a strong kid, but he'd had no idea he was that tough. Matt wasn't sure he could have made the same deal, even now, and he was sure he couldn't have at seventeen. As he drifted to sleep, the last thing he heard was his father talking to Mike McBride in Tahoe.

TBC

So very sorry for the long delay, real life created stress which unfortunately interferes with the muses. Please feed the muse with reviews and I'll try to update more quickly next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers, or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst, Violence

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 5

Jesse anxiously followed the Sherrif's deputies into the woods. Glancing at Matt, he could easily read the fear and nervousness on the face of his oldest. Both emotions were overridden, however, by the blond's determination to bring his little brother home. Letting the deputies take the lead was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. He understood, though, that these men knew the woods around here better than he did. After six weeks of searching for his youngest, he would do whatever it took to get him back, even if it meant taking a back seat for the moment.

Dan Moore cast a concerned look towards the Hawkes men. He still wasn't convinced that bringing them along was the best idea. If it had been up to him, they wouldn't have been contacted until after the raid on the cabin. Unfortunately the sheriff was a friend of a friend and so he had called the boy's father as soon as Rassy had been spotted. His only hope of keeping control of the situation was the fact that both men had experience in law enforcement. He prayed it would be enough, especially if the boy wasn't alive. Holding his hand up, he signaled for the others to stop. Nerves stretched taut, he waited for Deputy Smith to report in.

"The kid is there."

"What about Rassy?" Jesse asked as he joined them.

"He's there too, inside the cabin."

"Inside?" Dan questioned. "He's letting the kid out on his own?"

Smith shot Jesse a look, he really didn't want to be the one to break the news.

"Whatever it is son, just spit it out," Jesse ordered.

The authority in the older man's voice was enough to have Smith obeying. "Yes sir," he nodded. "The kid is," he licked suddenly dry lips. "He's chained up like a dog. He's naked too, so you can see every mark on him," he warned them.

"Are you sure Rassy is inside?" Dan asked.

"Absolutely, at least he was when I left."

"All right," Dan nodded. He quickly outlined where he wanted each of the men. The moment everybody was in position, he led the way towards the cabin. Even with Smith's warning about what they'd find, he stared in shock at the sight before him. He turned to look at the Hawkes, knowing that if this was hard for him to see, it was a thousand times worse for them. Prepared to grab them, he was shocked to the core when neither man rushed forward. Dan wasn't fooled by their restraint, one look at their faces and even a fool could see it was taking every ounce of will power for them to stay back.

Clenching his hands, Jesse impatiently waited for the signal to move forward. The wait, though only a few minutes in reality, seemed interminable. Finally Moore gave the signal and the men surrounding the cabin moved forward; the deputies focusing on the cabin while Jesse and Matt headed for Cody.

Larry smirked, enjoying the thought of the boy waiting miserably in the cool fall weather for the rest of his punishment. Glancing at his watch, he considered how much longer he should wait. Heaving a sigh, he sat his beer on the coffee table and stood up. Retrieving the whip he'd bought, he turned towards the door just as it was kicked in.

"Freeze, police!" Moore yelled, leveling his gun at the fugitive.

Rassy froze. Maybe if there had been only one cop he would have tried to fight his way out, but looking around the cabin that was now filling with officers, he knew there was no escape. He hadn't planned to return to prison, especially with Cody Hawkes still alive, but it looked like that was where he was headed. Though, he supposed in a way he had guaranteed the boy would suffer as much as he had, more really. He would return to San Francisco and find that his father and brother were dead, had been for weeks. Then he would realize that all of those weeks he'd been his slave to save his family, had been for nothing. The boy would never recover from everything he'd been through, no matter how many years he survived past today.

Deputy Smith glanced at Moore, shuddering as the fugitive suddenly began to laugh. Was he crazy? What kind of man does the things he'd obviously done to that kid, after escaping from prison, and then laughs like a loon when he's finally caught? It didn't make any sense and frankly it gave him the creeps.

Moore could almost read the thoughts going through Smith's mind, probably because he was thinking similar things. Shrugging his shoulders, letting Smith know he didn't understand either, he ordered the fugitive to lay on the floor and place his hands behind him. Kneeling down, he placed one knee on the man's back and cuffed his wrists, insuring that he wouldn't be escaping.

The second the officers disappeared inside the cabin, Jesse and Matt rushed towards the boy kneeling in the dirt, chained to a nearby tree. They froze in shock as Cody let out a pain-filled whimper, cowering away from them.

"Cody, son," Jesse softly called out to the traumatized teenager. Taking a step forward, he quickly stopped when his son moved away from him. "It's okay Cody, you're safe now," he assured the boy, struggling to keep his voice calm.

"Hey little brother," Matt quietly greeted the younger boy. "You want some help getting that collar off?"

"We can get rid of it, if you'll let us closer," Jesse added, following Matt's lead. Jesse sighed, his heart heavy with worry at the lack of reaction from his son. "Cody please let us help you," he plead with the teen.

"Can't help...nobody helps..."

Jesse and Matt shared a concerned glance, both men wondering what Cody meant by that. "We'll help you Cody, you just have to let us closer."

Cody curled in on himself as tightly as he could. He wanted to believe the voice that sounded like his father, but what if it was a trick? At that moment, he heard the voice of the man who lived to torment him. "I'm sorry master, I'll be good master," he immediately cried out in terror.

Rassy turned towards the boy, swallowing his anger at the sight of the Hawkes family, he smirked evilly, well finding the boy wouldn't do them any good. "Not another goddamn word dog," he yelled the order.

"Shut up Rassy," Moore snapped. Gripping the man's arm tightly, he dragged him away from the cabin and towards where the cars were parked.

Larry threw back his head, laughing gleefully as he was led away. Hawkes was too late, he just didn't know it yet. His boy was broken, if there was any justice, irrecoverably. After weeks of punishment for every act of disobedience, the boy was no longer capable of disobeying an order. He only wished he could be there when Hawkes discovered that until the order was rescinded, the boy would never speak another word.

Cody whimpered, but no other sound escaped his lips. He saw legs moving towards him, but now that he had heard his master's voice he assumed they were here with permission, so he made no further attempt to move away. He only hoped he wouldn't be punished too badly for his earlier tries to escape from them.

Jesse glared at Rassy's retreating back; the sound of a whimper jerking his attention back to his son. "Cody, son," he called in a soothing voice. Carefully moving closer, he was surprised that the teen didn't try to get away again. A niggling voice in the back of his head told him there was something wrong with the sudden change in behavior, but he ignored it, too overwhelmed with gratitude for the change to question it. Dropping to his knees, next to his son, he reached out for the lock holding the collar around Cody's neck. "Matt, go see if you can find a key for this lock," he quietly ordered.

Matt nodded, "Yes sir." Pushing himself back to his feet, he ran into the cabin and began searching.

"Hey! You can't do that," Deputy Smith cried out.

Matt looked up, glaring murderously at the deputy whose hand was now clamped around his wrist. "Let go," he growled.

"This is a crime scene, you can't just go tearing through it."

"That's my little brother out there," he snarled, jerking his head towards the yard, "and I'm not going to let him stay chained up like a dog. Now, you can either help me find the key to that collar, or you can get out of my way."

"Look Hawkes, I understand you wanting to free your brother, but you've been in law enforcement so you should know there are certain procedures that have to be followed."

Matt glared, "So we should just leave my brother out there? I don't think so."

"I'm not suggesting that, but you can't just go tearing the place apart either."

"Um, excuse me," a timid voice called from the doorway.

"What is it Officer Turner?" Smith snapped. The rookie's interruption couldn't have come at a worse time in his opinion.

"Mr. Hawkes asked me to come in and tell his son that he has the key."

"How did that happen?" Smith demanded.

"Lieutenant Moore found it when he searched the prisoner, he sent me back with it. After I gave it to Mr. Hawkes, he asked that I let his son know," Turner firmly replied. Inside he might be quaking, unnerved by the obvious irritation his superior was showing, but he wasn't about to show it.

Matt jerked his wrist from Smith's grip, "Thanks deputy Turner," he acknowledged the younger officer. Without another word, he hurried outside to join his father. "How is he?"

Jesse looked up as Matt slid to a stop, dropping to his knees. "He's alive and I don't think any of his injuries are life threatening," Jesse replied. Dropping his gaze back to his youngest, he adjusted the blanket one of the officers had given him, covering Cody, hiding him from the pitying gazes of those in the yard. "There's just so many of them," he added in a whisper.

Matt nodded, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "Did anybody say where the paramedics are?"

"They're on their way, Moore didn't want them here until the scene was secure."

"Has he said anything?" Matt asked.

Jesse shook his head, gently brushing the hair away from Cody's face. Taking in his son's battered form, he remembered every bruise, every cut and every burn he'd seen, silently promising that Rassy would pay for each mark on his son. He was so engrossed in his examination of his youngest that he didn't notice the arrival of the paramedics. It wasn't until strange hands tried to take Cody from his arms that he looked up, a snarl curling his lips. "Leave him alone."

"Sir, we just want to help him," a young red-headed woman soothed.

He snapped his head up at the sound of a soft, feminine voice. "He's naked, he won't want you seeing him like this," Jesse protested.

"We'll keep the blanket over his genitals, I promise." She could see the older man wavering, fighting between his need to protect the boy that was obviously his son and his need to make sure his son was taken care of. "My name's Stacey," she introduced herself. "Can you tell me what his name is?"

"Cody," Jesse swallowed, "his name is Cody Hawkes."

"Will you let us help Cody? You can stay right here the whole time, okay?" That did the trick, carefully laying his son down, the older man moved a few inches away. "Thank you," she whispered.

Matt stood next to his father, watching anxiously as the paramedics checked him over. He had been surprised by the change in his father when he had come back outside. It was as if, once Cody was in his arms again, the need to protect his son had overwhelmed him. Even if the only protection he could offer, at this point, was to protect his modesty. A small, sad, smile crossed Matt's face at that thought. "You okay?" he quietly asked.

"I'm not the one whose been tortured for the last six weeks," Jesse snapped. Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face. "Sorry son, guess I'm a little tired," he quickly apologized.

"More than a little tired, not to mention scared for Cody," Matt softly spoke, his eyes filled with understanding.

"That too," Jesse nodded.

Stacey looked up from her examination of the young man on the ground. "Mr. Hawkes? We're ready to transport Cody to the hospital. Would you like to ride with us?"

"You bet I would," Jesse quickly replied. Turning to Matt, he opened his mouth only to be cut off by his oldest.

"I'll be right behind you Dad."

Jesse nodded, turning to follow Stacey and her partner as they carried Cody between them on a stretcher. Soon they had loaded the stretcher into the ambulance and were on their way to the hospital, the blaring sirens clearing the path for them. Sitting on the bench across from Cody, Jesse picked up his son's hand, gently caressing the back of it with his thumb. "You're gonna be okay Cody," he whispered, hoping his words would be proven true.

TBC

Sorry it took so long to update, hope you liked it. I deliberately didn't detail, yet, what happened to Cody at Rassy's hands. So, if anybody has a specific request for something now would be the time to voice it. Though, I don't promise I'll go with it, I may very well inflict your torture ideas on him. evil laughter Please feed the muse with reviews.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers, or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst, Mention/Description of Torture, Reference to Jesse Hawkes Bank Robbery episode.

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 6

It was the fifth time he'd looked at the clock in the last hour, Matt didn't know how much longer his father would wait before he charged into the exam area. After two hours of agonizing waiting, he knew he'd be right there beside his dad if he decided to go looking for Cody. Just as he was sure the older man had reached the limit of his patience, the double doors swung open and Matt heard their name being called. Matt, already standing, moved towards the doctor, not really surprised that his father got there first.

"How is he?" Jesse abruptly greeted the middle-aged doctor.

Brown eyes blinked in surprise and the doctor took a step back, "You're Cody's father?" Dr. Zimmerman cautiously asked. He remembered the paramedics mentioning that the boy's father was here and he could easily see the resemblance between boy and man, yet he couldn't just assume. An impatient nod was the only response, it was enough. "I'm Dr. Zimmerman, I've been treating Cody. Why don't we step into the family room," he quietly suggested; the things he needed to discuss with this man shouldn't be talked about in the open.

"Damn," Matt mumbled, whatever the doctor had to tell them had to be pretty bad if he wanted privacy. Of course it's bad Hawkes, he silently berated himself. He didn't know why it had surprised him, he'd seen his brother's condition for himself and that was just the surface. Exchanging a worried glance with his father, he followed the two older men into the small, thankfully empty, room.

"All right Dr. Zimmerman, what did you find that you couldn't tell us out there?" Jesse demanded almost before the door had closed.

Paul Zimmerman sighed, running his hand through his silvered black hair, this wasn't going to be easy. "Mr. Hawkes the first thing I want to assure you of, is that Cody will physically make a full recovery."

"But not mentally?" Matt asked.

"That's harder to say...about all I can tell you is that if he recovers, it will take time. I'd suggest finding a counselor who specializes in victims of torture," Zimmerman offered. "Physically he's suffering from malnutrition, bruises, numerous small cuts and burns..."

"He was naked when we found him doctor," Jesse interrupted him. A part of him never wanted to know, but if he was going to help his son he had to know. "Was he sexually abused?" he finally managed.

"Let's sit down Mr. Hawkes," Paul suggested.

"I don't want to sit down, just answer the question," Jesse growled, his patience worn to its end.

"We don't know," the doctor admitted.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Jesse demanded. He'd spent enough time in law enforcement to know it wasn't that hard to tell if somebody had been assaulted.

Paul sighed, "During my examination of your son, I found a plug inserted into his anus. On further examination I was unable to find any tears or other evidence of sexual abuse, and due to the stretching from the plug I can't say with any certanity that your son was or was not molested. However, if I had to make an educated guess, I would say he probably was," he reluctantly added.

Jesse felt sick, he'd seen a lot in his years in law enforcement; the worst of it paled in comparison to hearing something like this about his own son. He never should have brought Cody to the city, Rassy never could have gotten to them up on the mountain. "He wanted to go home," Jesse whispered, finally taking the seat the doctor had offered, his head resting in his hands.

Matt frowned, "Dad?" he asked, sitting beside the older man. His concern deepened when he received no answer, "What do you mean?" he tried again.

"After the bank robbery, Cody wanted to go home," Jesse reminded his oldest.

"Yeah and we did." Matt was confused, his father wasn't making any sense and he was beginning to worry that the stress of the last six weeks had finally overwhelmed the older man.

"No, I knew he meant the mountains, I deliberately misunderstood him and he never complained," Jesse sighed. "He just went with the flow and me, selfish bastard that I am, accepted his willingness to ignore what he wanted in favor of what I wanted."

Matt laid his hand on Jesse's back, "Dad, you had no way of knowing this would happen."

Jesse shot him an incredulous look, "Doesn't matter, I knew your brother wanted to go back to the mountains but I felt alive and like I was really contributing for the first time in years. Damn it, the boy had just been through a terrible experience in that bank, why couldn't I have just given him what he asked for?"

"Dad you have a right to be happy too, and I promise you Cody feels the same way," Matt assured him. Turning back to the doctor, he hoped to get his father away from the if only game, he knew from experience it wouldn't do anything but drive a man insane. "Doctor, what else can you tell us about my brother's condition?"

"About his physical condition, there really isn't anymore, his mental state is another story. He hasn't spoken, but I can't find any physical reason to prevent him."

"Rassy," Jesse spat the name. "He ordered Cody not to say anything," he added, clearing up the doctor's confusion.

Zimmerman nodded, "This is the man who tortured him?"

"Yes sir," Matt replied. "It took us six weeks to find him, when we did he wasn't wearing anything except a dog collar and was chained up outside of the cabin Rassy was in."

"That could explain a lot," Zimmerman mused. "Mr. Hawkes I know you're not going to want to hear this, but I think you should admit Cody to a facility where he can get the help he needs."

"Not going to happen," Jesse immediately refused. There was no way he would lock Cody up in some hospital, away from the people who loved him and the mountains he loved. "I'm taking him home, back to the mountains," he firmly added, the set of his jaw making it clear he was ready to fight if he had to.

"I expected you to say something like that," Paul smiled sadly.

Jesse deflated, the man's calm acceptance taking the fight out of him. "You're not going to argue with me?"

"No sir," Paul replied. "He's your son, but I would have been remiss had I not mentioned what would be best for him from a purely medical standpoint. However, I have seen enough in my life to know that medicine doesn't always hold the answers. You do need to know what to expect before you take him home, though, and I strongly suggest that he receive some counseling. Just as medicine can't cure everything, neither can the love and care of family, but when they work together, miracles really can occur."

"He makes sense Dad," Matt nodded. "I don't think I would be walking today if you and Cody hadn't been there for me, but you couldn't have healed me without the help of the doctors and hospital."

Jesse nodded, "All right, tell me..."

"Us," Matt interjected.

"Us," Jesse corrected with a smile. "What do we need to know?"

"I don't know everything that was done to Cody, you'll probably find out a lot in the weeks and months to come. I can tell you that he was most likely sexually abused, beyond the plug he was forced to wear. He won't speak and the most likely explanation for that would be the order given him by his kidnapper." Paul paused, giving them time to digest what he'd told them, before he went on.

"What else?" Jesse asked after several minutes.

"He wouldn't remain in the bed until I ordered him to and he seemed frightened to be there," Paul replied. "At first I thought it was being in a room with so many strangers, but after a bit I realized it was being in the bed that scared him, I could guess why, but that's all it would be. Cody's recovery is going to be very difficult Mr. Hawkes, are you sure you can handle it?"

"I'll handle it," Jesse firmly responded, without a hint of hesitation. "When can I take him home?"

"I'd like to keep him overnight at least. With all of the cuts and burns he has, a round of antibiotics is needed and I'd prefer to begin with an i.v. push to get them in him faster. Frankly I'm surprised his body isn't ravaged by infection at this point."

"How long will he need to be on antibiotics?"

"Since he's only showing signs of a slight infection, I'm going to prescribe them for the standard ten days, just to be safe. He'll only need the first day to be through an i.v., though, after that he can take them orally with no problem. Did you have any other questions?"

Jesse shook his head, he knew he would probably think of something else later, but for now he was drawing a blank.

Paul stood up, "Cody's being moved to room 317, the nurse can direct you."

"Thank you doctor," Jesse said, acknowledging the information.

Jesse took a deep breath and pushed the door to Cody's room open. The look of fear on his son's face broke his heart, but he didn't let it show. He knew, if he was going to help Cody find his way back to them, he would have to be strong for him. In three quick strides he was across the room, looking down at his youngest; he gave him a small smile. "How are you feeling son?" he quietly asked. Jesse wasn't really surprised when no answer was forthcoming, he had known guys in Nam who had been POWs; he knew how much work it would take for Cody to recover and that he'd never be completely the same.

Cody looked up at his father in disbelief. This couldn't be real. It was a dream and any minute he'd wake up back in the yard, chained and waiting for master to let him back inside. Or worse, master had found somebody to impersonate his father and was hiding somewhere, watching, waiting for him to make a mistake. He didn't know what to believe, the only thing he was sure of was that this couldn't be real. Master had promised him that if his father ever found him, he would be killed before master let him return to his family. So, since he was obviously alive, this couldn't really be his father. Whether a dream or a trick master was playing on him, Cody decided that the best thing to do was to obey the last order he'd been given, until he woke up or master put an end to this newest torment. Turning his head to the side, he refused to look any longer at this dream/impersonator; it hurt too much to see him and know that it was all a lie.

Jesse glanced at his oldest, seeing his own pain reflected back at him, he vowed that he wouldn't give up until Cody was back with them. He refused to let Rassy win. He would bring his son back home where he belonged and then he would find a way to reach Cody, to really bring him home. For now, though, getting him physically home had to be enough. "The doctor says you can go home tomorrow," he went on, doing his best to behave as if everything were normal. "I'm tired of city living though, so I thought we'd go back to the mountains, back to our cabin. Bet you'll be glad to get back on Cooper won't you son?"

Matt watched his father and brother, his anger growing as he watched his father trying and failing to reach Cody. He wanted nothing more, as he saw Cody's lack of reaction and the pain it caused his dad, than to find Rassy and choke the life out of him. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine how it would feel to crush the man's windpipe with his bare hands. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge that Rassy was locked up tight where he couldn't reach him, but if he ever got the chance, he silently promised himself that he would kill him...slowly.

TBC

I know it's short and I apologize for that, as well as the long delay in posting. Finals are over though, so hopefully I can get caught up some. Please feed the muse with reviews.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers, or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst, Mention of Torture

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 7

Surprisingly, getting Cody into the truck had been the easiest part of the day so far. If Dr. Zimmerman had thought keeping Cody in the bed was difficult, it was nothing compared to keeping clothes on him. When they had first arrived in Cody's room he had been naked, they hadn't said anything, thinking it was for his comfort. It wasn't until the nurse arrived that they realized that the moment he was alone he had removed the gown they'd put him in. The doctor theorized, and Jesse agreed, that Rassy probably didn't let Cody wear anything. After a few times of the boy stripping off his gown, everybody involved decided it would be best for him to just remain nude for now.

This morning, however, he had to be dressed in order to leave the hospital; it had proven to be a nearly impossible task. It wasn't until Jesse ordered him, in his best Marine officer's voice, that Cody stopped fighting them and left the clothes on. Based on the fight over the clothes, Jesse had been sure there would be equal difficulty getting him into the truck. Braced for the fight he was expecting, he had been stunned by Cody's easy acceptance as he climbed into the truck without a word. Glancing at Matt, he was met with a shrug. Returning the gesture he had climbed into the driver's seat and headed for the mountains.

The drive to the cabin had been quiet, though not the kind of comfortable silence he was use to with Cody. This had been a silence tight with tension, the kind of silence that makes your gut roil with anxiety as you wait for the coming storm. He was thankful that Matt had returned to Frisco to gather their belongings, with plans to meet them at the cabin later. As hard as it was for him to sit in the truck cab with Cody, he was sure his oldest would have been even more uncomfortable with the atmosphere. No, it was best for them all that Matt wasn't here.

Cody was sure now that this wasn't a dream, no dream could last this long or be this detailed. That left only two options; master had found somebody to impersonate his father and brother, testing him to see if he would mess up; or it really was his father driving the truck and he had to find a way to go back to master before he came after his family. Master had only started to go after them once, stopping when Cody quit refusing the order he had been given. If anybody had been observing him that day, they would have known it was the day he had fully broken to master's will. Cody didn't tnink of it like that, however, he only saw it as the day he had known that he would do whatever master wanted if it would save his family.

Although he had meant it when he originally offered himself as a slave to keep master from killing his father and brother, a part of him had continued to fight the imprisonment. That day had been the last one he'd given master any resistance. He didn't know how he had ended up here, but he knew he had to find a way back to master. If the man ever found out he had returned to his family, even if it hadn't been his fault, he would kill them, Cody knew that without a doubt. What if, though, what if it wasn't his father driving the truck? What if it was an imposter, somebody master had hired to test him? After thinking about it for a while, he decided it didn't matter, either way his duty was clear; he had to find a way to return to master.

As he drove, Jesse watched Cody from the corner of his eye. He wondered what was going through the boy's mind as the highway took them closer to home. Glancing at his watch, he realized it was time for Cody's next dose of antibiotics, which needed to be taken with food. Damn, how am I going to do this, Jesse asked himself. He couldn't see any way to take him into a restaurant without causing a scene, but he wasn't sure if he could leave him in the truck by himself. If there had been a fast food place in the area it wouldn't have been an issue, he would have just hit the drive-thru. "If wishes were horses," he mumbled under his breath. Spotting a sign for a small diner, he pulled off the highway and into the parking lot.

Cody sat in the passenger seat, his whole body tensing, ready to run at the first chance. That chance came sooner than expected as the truck came to a stop in the parking lot of a small diner. The vehicle had barely stopped moving when Cody threw open the door, jumped out and took off. Instinctively he headed away from the diner, towards the nearby woods. He had always been at home in the woods, but, for the moment he was only thinking that master's cabin was in the woods and he had to find master before it was too late. He was so focused on reaching the woods and finding a way back to where he belonged that he didn't realize he was being followed, nor how close his pursuer was until he felt arms encircling his waist, bringing him to a sudden halt.

Jesse was sure his heart stopped when Cody suddenly bolted from the truck. Running after him, it never occurred to him how his pursuit of the boy might look to those who witnessed it; his only thought was to bring his son back to the diner before he managed to get himself hurt. He had never expected to be grateful for the poor condition Cody was currently in, but he knew that if he'd been in top physical shape he would never have caught up to him. As it was, it was a near thing. The moment he pulled his son to a halt, the boy began to struggle to get free. "Cody stop it!" he ordered after several minutes of fighting to maintain his hold on the boy. Just as with the clothing issue, the moment he stopped trying to soothe or persuade and simply barked an order, Cody obeyed. It hurt to know that he had to treat his son as if he were the lowest raw recruit, he refused to think of him as what Rassy had made him, but he would do what he had to.

"Why did you run off son?" Jesse asked. He didn't really expect an answer, and he was proven right. Jesse sighed, this wasn't going to be easy. He had known that before, but it hadn't really hit him until now just how hard it would be. "Don't run again," he finally ordered. "We're going back to the diner and you're going to come in with me to get some food. We'll get it to go and you won't move from my side while we're in there, understood?"

Cody nodded, the tone of the man's voice telling him that he would regret any disobedience. If he had looked in Jesse's eyes, he would have seen the pain his father was feeling, but he wasn't allowed to look people in the eyes and so all he could go by was the tone of the older man's voice. Resigned to remaining here for now, he reluctantly walked back towards the diner with...Cody paused in his thoughts, who was he, father or imposter? Mentally shrugging he opted for thinking of him as his father, until proven wrong, the uncertainty of who the man was had quickly become confusing, so he decided to go with what was easiest.

"Hold it right there mister," an unfamiliar voice snapped, bringing Cody to a sudden halt. Glancing around, he was shocked to see two policemen standing there, guns drawn and pointed at his father. "Come on over here son, we won't let him hurt you," the man, sheriff he guessed, quietly told him. Cody took a step closer to his father; he wasn't sure what to do.

Taking in the crowd that had formed behind the sheriff and his deputy, Jesse quickly realized what was happening. Hell, what if must have looked like to these people when Cody took off. A kid running, an older man chasing him...of course they had called the police. He needed to explain what was happening to the sheriff, but he knew they wouldn't give him the chance to say anything until they had Cody safely away from him. "Cody, go stand with the deputy over there," he gruffly ordered. He ignored the pain it brought when his son quickly obeyed the order, his entire demeanor that of a whipped dog. "If you'll give me a minute I can explain everything sheriff," he said, turning his attention back to the man in charge.

"Explain?" Sheriff Chris Tanner was incredulous. What kind of explanation did this man think could justify the obvious abuse this boy had suffered? "Mister you're damned lucky I don't shoot you on the spot."

Jesse sighed, "I know it doesn't look good sheriff. Hell, I can imagine what it does look like but I promise you it's not whatever you're thinking."

"I don't think there's anything you can say, but you'll get your chance to explain, at the station," Chris firmly decided, his green eyes flashing with promises of fire and brimstone if he didn't like the answers he got.

"What happens to my son while you're asking your questions?" Jesse demanded.

Chris gaped at him. He couldn't believe the nerve of the man in front of him. "Mister you're not in any position to be asking questions? You damned sure aren't in position to make demands," he added, letting the other man know that he recognized the demand in his question.

"Sheriff I promise I'll tell you what you want to know, but Cody won't react well to being seperated from me," Jesse tried again, this time keeping his voice calm.

"You can't expect me to let him stay with you while we question you," Chris shook his head. "He'll be going to the hospital where he'll be checked for signs of abuse and if as I suspect, those signs are found you'll be going to jail while he goes to foster care."

"You'll find signs, but I'm not the one who hurt him," Jesse informed him. He bit back the smile that tried to form at the obvious look of surprise on the sheriff's face. "Look sheriff..."

"Tanner," Chris filled in.

Jesse nodded, "Sheriff Tanner, this is going to be hard to believe but there are people who can verify what I'm about to tell you. If you aren't able to confirm my story I'll gladly let you take me to the jail," he promised. Holding his breath, he waited to see if the sheriff would listen to him. He didn't want to consider what it might do to Cody to be taken away from only to be poked and prodded by more strangers.

Chris knew it was going against regs, but there was something about this man that told him he should listen. "Fine, talk," he ordered. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but the story he got sure wasn't it. As the man, who had given his name as Jesse Hawkes, told him the story of how he had come to be chasing his son through the field behind Mom's diner, he felt his own lunch threatening to make a reappearance. If his story was true...he shook his head, he didn't understand how anybody could hurt a child in such horrific ways. This went beyond anything he'd ever heard of, and in his years in law enforcement he'd heard and seen plenty of sick things.

"He hasn't spoken since we found him, not since Rassy ordered him not to say another word," Jesse continued. "He wasn't even able to give a statement, though I'm not sure he would even if he was willing to talk," Jesse sadly admitted.

"I'm going to make some calls, don't try anything while I'm gone or Deputy Sanchez will shoot you, am I clear?" Chris asked.

"Crystal."

Chris nodded and turned away. In a few long strides he had reached his car and picked up the mic. It didn't take too long to verify the story Hawkes had told him. Dropping the mic, he returned to where his deputy stood guard over Mr. Hawkes and his son. "I'm sorry Mr. Hawkes, but you have to understand what this looked like..."

"No need to apologize sheriff," Jesse quickly assured him. "You were just doing your job. I would like to get some food now, Cody's past due for his next antibiotic," he explained.

"Sheriff?" Sanchez asked. Surely the sheriff wasn't going to buy this guy's story. Anybody could see that the poor kid was being abused and this man was most likely the person inflicting the abuse.

"His story checks out Buck, I'll explain it to you later." Glancing around at the crowd, Chris didn't think they'd be as easy to convince. "Look Mr. Hawkes I'm not sure you going in the diner is a good idea right now so how about a compromise?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"You and your son wait in your truck, I'll get your food...better yet, Buck will get your food," he quickly decided after a rumble of displeasure from the gathering crowd. "I'll make sure you don't have any trouble."

Jesse took in the crowd, quickly picking up on the same mood the sheriff was. "Maybe I should just go on to the next place," he doubtfully questioned the sheriff's idea.

"You said the boy needs his medicine and it's already been delayed. Don't worry, they won't give you any trouble," Chris assured him. Getting a nod from the other man, he and Buck escorted the Hawkes' back to their truck, Chris standing guard while Buck went after their food.

Jesse wasn't sure how he did it, but somehow Sheriff Tanner managed to keep the crowd under control with nothing more than his presence and an occasional well-aimed glare. It reminded him some of Mike McBride, though Mike would have needed to raise his voice to fully control a crowd like this. Tanner's ability was definitely impressive and Jesse was glad one of the people in the crowd had called him. He hated to think about what would have happened if he'd had to face the hostile crowd on his own.

Luckily the diner was nearly as fast as McDonalds and in only a few minutes Buck was returning to the truck with their food and drinks. Setting the bag on the seat and handing the drinks to Cody, Jesse put the truck in gear and pulled out of the parking lot, anxious to put the diner behind him. He smiled when he heard Cody's stomach growl. "We'll stop at the next rest area and eat, then you can take your medicine. Think you can wait that long?" Jesse sighed when Cody failed to answer with anything other than a nod. Pretending he didn't hear, he asked again, this time ordering his son to answer him.

Cody whimpered, the training he'd received from master had him itching to obey the order, but master had ordered him to remain silent. Chewing on his lip, he began to tremble lightly as he tried to figure out how to handle the internal conflict. He wasn't even aware of the whimper sounding from his throat until a gentle hand suddenly rubbed up and down his arm, making him jump.

"It's okay Cody, you don't have to talk right now," Jesse assured, quickly rescinding his order. He wanted his son back, more than he could say, but he knew that if he pushed him too hard he ran the risk of losing him forever. He'd just have to find some way to reach him, to convince him that he was free of Larry Rassy and didn't need to be afraid anymore.

TBC

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	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 8

He hadn't planned to let the Rangers know they were back yet, but that was before he had realized Cody wasn't up to a long hike. Parking the truck, he shot Cody a concerned glance. He didn't dare leave his son in the truck alone, yet he wasn't sure how the boy would react to being here. With a heavy sigh he climbed out of the truck and walked around the front to open Cody's door. "Cody we need to borrow some horses from the Rangers, unless Frank can take us to the cabin." He waited in vain for his son to say something in acknowledgment. Realizing he wasn't going to receive a verbal response, he continued, doing his best to prepare Cody. "They're probably going to be pretty excited to see us son. I know it may be hard for you, but I don't want you to try to run or to get scared, okay?"

Cody glanced towards the station, giving his father a nod.

"They're your friends son, they won't hurt you," Jesse assured him. It was killing him, this need to prepare Cody for what should be a normal event. He only hoped the boy could handle this. "Come on then." Jesse took Cody's arm, guiding him to the porch and inside.

Terry looked up from the radio, as the newbie he was always being stuck with this job. The older man standing in the doorway looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place him. "Hello, can I help you?"

Silently Jesse cursed himself for not thinking ahead. He should have realized he might encounter somebody who didn't know them. "Is Robin Kelly or Frank Avila around?"

"Yes sir, Commander Avila is in the office and Ranger Kelly is out back."

"Thank you," Jesse said. "Come on Cody." Giving his arm a gentle tug, he headed towards the office.

Terry jumped up, moving to block his way. "If you'll tell me who you are I'll let the Commander know you're here."

Jesse smiled, it wasn't a pleasant smile. "Name's Jesse Hawkes and you need to move out of my way." His voice held a clear warning. He could sense Cody becoming agitated; he needed to get him into the office before he became too upset.

That's why he looked familiar, Terry thought. Still he didn't think he should just let him barge into the office without permission. Faltering with indecision, the younger man flicked brown eyes between Jesse and the office door. He'd heard the stories about this man. If the truth be told, he doubted a lot of them, but still, he had founded the Rangers. Yet, he wasn't a Ranger now. The decision was taken from him with the opening of the back door.

Robin had never minded tending to the horses, but since the Hawkes family had left the mountains, she had grown to love it. Taking care of the horses, especially the ones left behind by Jesse and his sons, was the one time she could feel close to them. God how she missed them. She froze in her tracks, it couldn't be, she must be dreaming. "Jesse? Cody?" she called in disbelief. Robin wanted to believe, more than anything, but she was afraid to let herself hope that they were really back.

"Robin..." Jesse's warning was cut off as Robin suddenly rushed forward, bringing a moan of fear from his son. Though the sound was soft, it was enough to stop the young woman's momentum.

"Cody?" Robin questioned. She watched with concern as Jesse soothed his youngest, assuring him that he was okay. She almost missed his request to see Frank, so engrossed was she in what was happening. "Of course, he should be in the office. Come on." Leading the way, she closed the distance to the office door and stepped inside, moving aside for Jesse and Cody, she shut the door behind them.

Frank's surprise was equal to Robin's. As he started to rise from his seat, he stopped at a motion from Jesse. Uncertainly he sat back down, waiting for Jesse to tell him what was happening. He didn't miss the concern rolling off of the older man in waves, nor the obvious upset of the younger. He sucked in a breath, realizing suddenly who was missing, "Matt?"

Jesse realized immediately what was being asked. "He's fine, he had to pick a few things up and then he'll be joining us at the cabin."

Frank let go a relieved sigh. "Are you back for good?"

"Cody and I are, I'm not sure about Matt."

Frank exchanged a concerned glance with Robin. It was easy to see that something was wrong. In all the years they'd known the Hawkes family, neither of them had ever seen Cody in a state like this, not even after Matt had been hurt so badly. After several minutes of watching Cody stare at the floor, never once looking either of them in the eye, he finally broached the subject on both their minds. "Jesse, what's going on?" Frank quietly asked.

Jesse sucked in a deep breath. He had known, as soon as he stopped here, that he would have to tell them something of what had happened, that didn't make it easy. "You remember the Rassy family?"

"The ones that killed that man and then tried to kill you and Cody? Of course," Frank confirmed.

"The girl was able to stay out of prison, but I guess she couldn't handle losing her family. She killed herself a couple of months ago."

"That's sad, but what does it have to do with why you're here and why Cody's acting like somebody's whipped dog," Robin interjected.

"Her uncle used her funeral as a means of escaping from prison," Jesse began his explanation. In a few short, clipped sentences he explained about leaving Cody home alone, the scene they'd walked into and the deal his youngest had made with a monster. "Cody hasn't spoken since Rassy ordered him not to say anything. We don't know everything that he suffered, but you can see some of the effect it had on him."

Frank glanced at Robin, idly wondering which of them was paler at this point. How could anybody treat another human being like that? He wasn't surprised, however, that Cody would make such a deal. That kid would do anything for his family, especially the father he very nearly worshipped. "What can we do to help Jesse?"

Robin felt sick. She couldn't imagine what Cody had been through. Hearing Frank's offer, she spoke up, "Anything Jesse."

Jesse smiled, he knew then he'd made the right choice in stopping here. "Could you fly us up to the cabin Frank? I don't think Cody could handle a long hike and I can't drive the truck all the way up there."

"Of course I can. What about your horses?"

"Well Matt's going to have the same trouble, maybe one of you could ride up with him so he doesn't have to handle all of the horses on his own."

"I'll take care of it Jesse," Robin quickly offered, surprising nobody.

Jesse hid the indulgent smile, that threatened to form. "Thank you Robin. How long until you're ready Frank?"

"It'll take me about ten minutes, will that give you enough time to get what you need from your truck?"

"Already have it," Jesse patted the bag he carried. "Matt's getting everything else."

Frank nodded. "Okay, you want to wait in here or join me by the heli-pad?"

Jesse gave Cody a considering look, "I think we'll join you outside."

Jesse had been almost afraid to put Cody in the chopper. The entire ride to the cabin, he had half expected his son to try to bail out. He hadn't relaxed until they were back on solid ground. He thanked Frank for the ride and led Cody inside the home they'd left what seemed like year's ago, though in reality it had only been a little over a year.

Cody's knees felt like jello as he followed his father. He couldn't be here! If master found out he was here he would kill them. Cody knew he couldn't let that happen. But, how was he going to stop it? He was too weak, that had already been proven. With a heavy heart, he moved forward, each step feeling like a step closer to the end of his world.

Jesse stepped inside the cabin, his eyes narrowing in surprise at what he saw. Where he had expected to see a thick layer of dust, he saw only clean surfaces and the air he'd thought would be stale was as fresh as if they'd only been gone a few hours. He idly wondered who had been taking care of the place. Maybe Frank or Robin would know; he'd ask them later. He turned to say something to Cody, only to find him missing. Retracing his steps to the door, his eyes darkened with concern.

"Cody, what is it son?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

The feel of his father's arm laying gently across his back was more than Cody could take. His knees turned from jello to water in an instant and he would have fallen if not for the strong arms of his dad.

"Cody!" The echo of Jesse's cry rang through the surrounding trees. Scooping his son into his arms, Jesse carried the boy into the cabin. Making a beeline for the couch, he laid Cody down. "What's wrong son? Please talk to me," Jesse nearly begged.

Cody shook his head, he wanted to tell him but he couldn't disobey master.

"Damn that bastard," Jesse snapped. He knew if Rassy hadn't told Cody to be silent, he would be able to get the answers he needed. "Are you in pain? Dizzy? Feel sick?" Each question was met with a shake of the head. He wouldn't need to call Frank back then, that was good. "Is it being here?" he finally asked. It was the only other thing he could think of. He sighed when Cody nodded, "Would you like to go for a walk?" He hoped that if he gave his son a little time he could handle being here. He smiled when the boy nodded his acceptance of the idea. "Just let me leave a note for..." he trailed off as a thought struck him. Quickly leaving a note for Matt, he grabbed the pad of paper and a pencil before leading Cody back outside.

They walked in silence for a while. Jesse smiled as he noticed that Cody had automatically headed towards one of his favorite spots, a large boulder next to a small creek. He could remember many times over the years, finding Cody here, sitting on that boulder or skimming stones across the creek. "Why don't we sit down for a few minutes," he quietly suggested.

Cody shrugged, it didn't really matter to him. He did feel better now that he wasn't at the cabin, but the fear he felt for his family was still there. Cody knew it wouldn't leave until he was back with master. He shuddered at the thought. He never wanted to go back there, yet he had to. He had promised to obey; he couldn't risk his family in exchange for his freedom.

"You okay son?" Jesse softly asked. He waited in vain for an answer beyond the nod he received. Sighing quietly, he pulled out the note pad and pencil. "You think it would be okay for you to write down your answers?" he asked, holding out the paper and pencil.

Cody took the things his dad handed him, looking at them as if he'd never seen anything like them. Master had said not another word, but did that include writing? Cody considered the question carefully, finally deciding it would be okay. Picking up the pencil, he wrote haltingly, choosing his words with care.

Jesse let go the breath he had taken, more relieved than he could say. Mentally he shook his head at his own foolishness; he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this sooner. The relief turned to despair when Cody handed the pad to him, allowing him to see what had been written there.

TBC

Hope y'all liked it, please feed the muse with reviews.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 9

_I can't stay here. I have to go back to master, I promised. _Jesse read the words three times over. He couldn't believe that Cody wanted to go back to that monster. "Cody, son, Rassy is back in prison. You couldn't go back to him, even if your brother and I were willing to let you."

_You're lying. _Cody wrote, his eyes as accusing as the words.

Jesse sighed, he wondered if he'd ever manage to get through to Cody. "You saw the police, saw him being led away, why do you think I'm lying?" he asked with forced calmness.

Cody shook his head, he remembered there being a lot of people around, but he didn't know who they were. _He's testing me. _It was the only explanation that made sense to his troubled mind.

"Rassy?" Jesse asked for clarification. A nod was his only answer. "Has he tested you before?" Jesse was almost afraid of the answer. He was relieved when Cody shook his head. "Then why do you think he's testing you now?"

Cody picked up the pad again and began to write. _He wouldn't let me go home, he'd kill me first. If I don't go back, he'll kill you and Matt. _

"No Cody, he won't because he can't," Jesse promised. He could see by the stubborn set of Cody's jaw that his words weren't believed. "Have I ever lied to you before? Then why would you think I'm lying now?" Jesse asked in response to his son's shaking head.

Cody didn't answer. Climbing off the boulder, he started walking back towards the cabin. He felt lost. If what his father said was true he didn't know what he was supposed to do. He could stay here, live in the mountains he'd grown up in, but would his father want him the way he was now? No, of course he wouldn't. Jesse would want the son he knew returned to him, but that son didn't exist anymore. He was only dog now, or slave, a thing to be tormented and used by his master.

In spite of knowing his father had never lied to him in the past, he could hardly believe him now. Master had shown him, painfully, the consequences of questioning him, of disobeying him, even when the order was unspoken. If he couldn't carry out the punishment...Cody stopped in his tracks. There had been so many warnings and threats, it must have gotten lost as they had begun to blend together. Still, he couldn't believe he had forgotten the warning. He could almost hear master's voice as he told him, promised retribution if he ever returned home. If not through him, then through another.

*****************

Larry sat, once again, in a prison cell. He grinned as he imagined the Hawkes kid and what he was going through. As much as he would have enjoyed continuing his ownership of the boy, he had known all along that he would eventually be caught. He wondered if the kid was still remaining silent. Of course he is, he told himself, you had him completely broken. "Wonder how Hawkes will react when he realizes he can't make my dog into a real boy again?" His barked laughter sounded loudly in the relative silence of the cell block he was housed in. "Should've named him Pinocchio," he grinned, chuckling at his own joke.

************

Matt had taken his time gathering up their clothes and other portable items. If they never returned to Frisco, Marty could have the furniture they were leaving. He knew, that it was really a question of if he returned. His father, he was sure, would do as he had years ago, retreat into the mountains. Matt was sure he'd never leave again, unless Cody decided he wanted to return to the city. He planned, after his brother had healed, to do his best to convince Cody to go back to Frisco. His biggest fear, aside from the fear that his brother would never recover, was that he would retreat into those mountains just like their father had done. Only, he thought Cody would go even further, becoming more like old Gabe, never interacting with other people in a normal way.

As much as he wanted to help his brother, he was also grateful for the break from the stress. It hurt him, more than he would ever have imagined, to see his outgoing little brother so withdrawn and broken. He was terrified that Cody would never get better, spending the rest of his life silent and broken.

Finally he had everything packed and loaded into the rented truck. He couldn't delay any longer. Letting loose a heavy sigh, he left the warehouse they'd made a home, locking the door behind him. If Matt were honest with himself, he knew that the need for a break from his brother's problems wasn't his only reason for delaying his return to Tahoe. If the counseling he'd had after the drug bust had taught him anything it was to be honest with himself about the reasons for his actions.

Though the other Rangers had said that they understood why he couldn't return to the job he had once loved, his only contact with them had been through letters, making it difficult to judge their emotions. What if they were lying about that understanding? What if they thought he was using his physical injuries as an excuse to avoid going home? What if they felt like he had abandoned them, forcing them to deal with their grief without his support? Stop it Hawkes, he ordered himself. His friends knew that, even though he had recovered, he would never be able to handle the grueling physical requirements of a High Mountain Ranger's life. Bounty hunting was one thing. Sure there was a physical side to it, but it was short bursts, not hours of making demands on his body.

Still he was nervous about returning to the mountains. He hadn't been back since they'd flown him to Frisco for treatment. He hadn't even been able to attend the funerals for his friends. In all honesty, he was as afraid of facing the memories of his lost friends as he was the presence of his living ones. Steeling himself for the task, he sped on down the highway, rapidly closing the distance between himself and the ghosts of his past.

Long before he was ready, Matt was pulling into Tahoe. Driving down familiar streets, he headed towards the other side of town and the road that would take him towards his dad's old cabin. He never made it that far. The sight of his father's truck parked outside the Ranger station sent a stab of fear through him. Had something happened to Cody? It must have, he knew, there was no other reason his dad would subject his brother to facing strangers and friends alike. A horn sounded behind him as he turned the wheel sharply and without warning into the parking lot of the station. Stopping next to Jesse's truck, he jumped out and all but ran to the door of the station.

Robin looked up as the front door burst open. "Matt," she smiled, standing up and walking towards him.

"Where's my dad and Cody?" Matt asked without preamble.

Robin was startled, caught off guard by the suddenness of the question. She opened her mouth to admonish him for his rudeness, quickly changing her mind as realization sunk in. "They're at your dad's cabin. Jesse didn't think Cody could handle a long hike or ride on horseback; Frank flew them up."

Matt's shoulders sagged, the relief a physical thing. "Cody's okay then?"

"Yeah, well as much as he can be considering what he's been through."

Matt looked as startled as Robin had only seconds earlier. "Dad told you?"

Robin nodded, "Just me and Frank though," she explained. She had a feeling Matt wouldn't be happy if he thought the newer Rangers were aware of what had happened to Cody. "He told us you'd probably be stopping too because you'd have a problem with hiking because of the stuff you're carrying."

Matt ducked his head, shooting a sheepish smile her way. "Honestly I didn't even think about that. I saw Dad's truck and was afraid something had happened to Cody."

Robin smiled, "Good thing you stopped then. He wanted you to bring the horses up with you so none of you will be stuck at the cabin. I told him I'd ride up with you, help with the horses," she explained.

"I'd appreciate that," Matt smiled. Now that he wasn't worrying about an unexpected emergency, he was able to pay more attention to the way he felt. He was pleasantly surprised to find that being here, in the station, in the company of an old friend, wasn't as awkward or uncomfortable as he had feared. If Robin had volunteered to help get the horses up the mountain, she at least, obviously understood why he hadn't come back. If she had been honest about that, then the odds were Frank and Izzy had been just as honest concerning their feelings. The recognition of that was a load from his shoulders. "So are you and..." he gestured to the man at the radio, unaware of his name, "the only ones here?"

"I'm sorry, Matt, this is Terry Miller; Terry, Matt Hawkes," Robin introduced with a smile. "Actually I'm afraid we are. Frank, Izzy and Sam are out on a call. We can wait until they're back if you like, but I don't know when that will be."

Matt shook his head, "I'd like to see Frank and Izzy, but we need to get up to the cabin early enough that you can make the ride back before dark."

Robin nodded, she knew he was right. "I'll go saddle the horses then, you get your stuff."

"Thanks," Matt smiled. "Oh, can I use your phone first?"

Robin tilted her head, wondering who he needed to call. "Yeah, sure."

"I need to call the rental company, have them send somebody to pick up the truck," he explained.

Robin smiled and nodded. Turning away, she headed out to the barn.

********

They rode the first part of the trail in a mostly comfortable silence. "How are you doing Matt?" Robin finally asked.

"I'm fine, Cody's the one who was put through hell."

"Bull," Robin snapped.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry Matt, but as much as Cody suffered and I know he did, he isn't the only one who went through hell. I can't imagine being forced to watch somebody I love being tortured. Add to that having that person taken away by the person who was torturing them, knowing they would endure more torment, that would be its own sort of hell."

Matt sighed, "You're right," he admitted. "This can't be about me though. We have to focus on Cody and helping him to recover from whatever Rassy did to him. Hell Robin, we don't even know everything he went through. He may" Matt swallowed hard, "have been sexually abused by that monster," he bit out, the words cutting through his soul.

Robin startled, Jesse hadn't told them. "I didn't know that."

"I probably shouldn't have told you."

Robin couldn't help feeling sorry for the man riding beside her. If she knew Matt, and she did, he was kicking himself for what he had revealed. "Don't worry, I won't say anything."

Matt nodded, "Thanks, but still it wasn't my secret to tell."

Robin's first instinct was to defend him, she forced the instinct down. Taking the time to think about it, she knew that if she were in Cody's shoes, she wouldn't want something like that being revealed without her permission. "You're right, but I don't think you were telling a secret as much as seeking comfort from a friend." She paused, she wasn't sure if she should ask, but the cat was out of the bag. With a mental shrug, she plunged into the minefield ahead. "You said may have been?"

"There was some damage done to him, but not enough to be sure if he was, hurt like that," Matt replied, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry," he cleared his throat. "It's just hard to imagine something like that happening to my little brother. Stupid really, as if that's somehow worse than the other things that bastard did to him," he snarled.

Robin sighed, she wished she knew how to help Matt through this. She wasn't a trained psychologist though. No, but you are a friend, a voice whispered. "Maybe," she licked her lips, "maybe it's because that's so much more personal than the other things."

"Maybe," Matt nodded, recognizing the truth of her words. "Thanks," he smiled. Talking to a friend had been just what he needed. God knew he hadn't been able to talk to his father, the older man too wrapped up in concern for his youngest to realize that his other son needed him too. Not that Matt blamed him for that. Just as when his father had focused on him during his recovery, Cody was the one who needed him now. Matt would never try to take Jesse attention away from his brother. He just hadn't realized until now how much he needed somebody to talk to.

"Anytime Matt," Robin softly acknowledged.

***********

A few miles away, Jesse had caught up to Cody. "Cody, son, what is it? Do you think I'm lying?"

Cody shook, the fear brought on by his realization overwhelming him.

"Cody?" Jesse tried again, placing a supportive hand on his son's shoulder. He was surprised to find the muscles under his hand trembling. "Son please tell me what's wrong," he tried again.

Cody turned to him, his eyes wide in his pale face. Bringing up the pad and pencil, he tried to reply. His hand shook too much to write properly. Looking up, his eyes plead for the help that he couldn't ask for.

Another piece of his heart crumbling under the look of despair, Jesse instinctively drew his boy into his arms. "It's going to be okay son," he soothed. "I promise that bastard is never going to hurt you or anybody else again." Jesse's voice was firm, filled with conviction, he only hoped Cody would be able to believe in the promise he offered.

TBC

Hope y'all liked it, please feed the muse with reviews.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Warnings: Angst

Rating: FRT

Justice

Chapter 10

The rest of the ride was made in silence and if it wasn't the comfortable silence of the past, it was close enough. Matt pulled up, holding his hand up for silence, he quickly took in the scene. He hadn't expected Cody to greet him, but there should have been some indication of life, not this all encompassing silence.

Dropping silently from the horse's back, he headed towards the front of the cabin, while Robin echoed his movements as she worked her way to the back of the cabin. Mentally counting down, he burst through the front door as Robin came in the back. It only took a moment to spot the note on his father's desk, bringing a sheepish smile to his face. "Looks like they went for a walk," he spoke over his shoulder.

Robin sighed, her lips twitching with humor. "So we can stand down?"

He shook his head, he'd known she wouldn't let it go. "Smartass."

She shrugged, "Want me to stick around?"

He considered it, company would be nice but then again.... "Better not, I don't know how Cody would handle having company," he quickly explained.

Robin nodded, "Yeah, he didn't seem to like being at the station too much." Stepping closer, she gave Matt a quick hug. "If you guys need anything you know where to find me and that goes for Frank too."

"Thanks Robin," he smiled sadly. On those days when he had considered going back to the mountains, this hadn't even been in the realm of possibility. They were supposed to come back because he was ready to be in Tahoe again or to attend Frank or Robin's weddings, not so his little brother could heal from an ordeal he should never have had to endure.

"Just remember Matt, you and your Dad have to take care of yourselves too if you're going to be any help to Cody." Leaving him with that thought in his head, she went back outside and climbed on her horse. Normally she would have offered to help with getting the horses settled, but she had a feeling Matt could use the distraction.

The sound of the horses nickering brought him out of his musing and he headed outside to get things settled. Working with practiced ease, he had soon unburdened the horses, unsaddled them, brush them down and turned them loose in the corral. Letting the horses refamiliarize themselves with the place, he headed inside to put things away. He was determined that he would have it done and supper started by the time his father and brother returned.

******************************************

Jesse had spent an indeterminate amount of time comforting his youngest. He had hoped that once the boy was calmed, he'd be able to tell him what had spooked him so badly. It wasn't to be. Even after he had calmed, Cody still shook too hard to write properly, leaving Jesse to guess as to what the problem was. Wisely deciding to wait, he reluctantly released his son. "Ready to head back to the cabin?" he gently asked.

Cody chewed on his lip. How could he risk them? But where else could he go? He didn't even know where master's cabin had been and there was nowhere in these mountains his father couldn't find him. He gave a hesitant nod.

"Come on then, maybe that brother of your's will be there by the time we get back," Jesse smiled, ignoring the hesitance. "He's probably waiting for us to fix him supper," he joked. He sighed, the timid smile he received hurting more than he could say. Cody had never been a loud child, but he couldn't remember a time when his son had been so shy and timid. That was the wrong word though, wasn't it, he thought to himself. Frightened was a much better description of the expression Cody wore and it tore his heart in two to see it.

Swallowing his fear, Cody followed his father back to the cabin. He stopped when he saw the horses in the corral, a genuine smile crossing his face at the sight of the familiar animals. As if being pulled by an invisible rope, he veered from the path, making a beeline for the corral.

Jesse smiled, he hoped this was a good sign. "Why don't you go say hi to the horses and I'll see what Matt's doing," he suggested. He might as well have been talking to the air. By the time he'd finished speaking, Cody had covered half the distance to the corral. Watching him, he took a moment to savor the first sign of the old Cody he'd seen since they'd found him. Reluctantly he turned away and went inside, "Something smells good," he commented as he stepped inside.

Matt peaked his head from the kitchen, "Just some canned stew," he smiled. "Where's Cody?" he asked, the good humor leaving his voice abruptly.

"Calm down Matt, he's just outside with the horses," Jesse quickly soothed. "How long have you been here?"

"Not too long. Did you have a good walk?"

"Yeah," Jesse nodded. "I wasn't planning on it, but it was pretty obvious that Cody wasn't ready to be here yet so..."

"You thought a walk would do him good," Matt finished with a small smile.

He nodded, "Something like that. It went pretty well too, we had a good talk until something spooked him. I haven't found out what yet."

"Talked?" Matt asked in a voice filled with hope. "How long has he been talking? What got him to?"

Jesse sighed, he hadn't meant to get Matt's hopes up so high. "I'm sorry Matt, I shouldn't have said that. He wasn't talking exactly, but I did convince him that he could talk to us by writing his words down."

Matt bit back his disappointment, it was a start after all. "That's something...what did he say?"

"Not anything I wanted to hear," Jesse nearly growled.

"Dad?"

He shook his head, "Sorry son, I just get so damned mad when I think about what your brother's been put through." He rubbed a hand over his face, dropping down into his chair. "He's convinced that if he doesn't go back to Rassy the man will kill us."

Matt frowned, "Doesn't he realize that Rassy is in prison?"

"I don't know." Lord he was tired and this battle was only just beginning. "I told him that; I don't think it did much good. I don't know how we're going to get through to him, to break his conditioning," he admitted.

Matt didn't like what he was hearing. He couldn't remember ever hearing his father sounding so defeated before. Even all those weeks when Cody was missing. When they didn't even know if he was alive or dead. Through it all, no matter how many nightmares they both suffered, no matter how many dead ends they came up against, his dad had never given up. To see him like this, so obviously scared, his whole demeanor screaming defeat...it scared him in ways he couldn't describe.

Hands on his hips, he stared down at his father. "Is this the way a Marine handles his problems?" he demanded.

Jesse looked up, startled as much by the question as the tone. "Watch your tone boy," he warned the younger man. Maybe he'd made mistakes and God knew he'd failed his youngest in the worst way, but that didn't give Matt the right to talk to him like this.

"Or what?" Matt asked, daring the older man to do something about it.

Jesse stood up, glaring at his son, "You're not so big that I can't put you over my knee."

"You won't though, you're too busy feeling sorry for yourself and giving up," Matt accused. He ignored the sharp gasp from his father and the hurt in his eyes. He hated doing this, but he couldn't let his dad give up. If Jesse gave up, Matt was sure, they would lose Cody for good and if that happened, his father would follow.

All of the anger, frustration and fear he'd felt since this nightmare had begun formed into a cold ball of ice in his gut. It hurt, like a physical blow and like any other animal when hurting, Jesse struck out. With one well placed blow to the jaw, he knocked Matt to the floor.

"Stop it!" Cody yelled from the doorway. He'd come inside, finally having worked up his nerve, only to see his father attacking his brother. He didn't know how it had come to this, but somehow he knew it was connected to him. For that split second of shock and fear, he forgot the order from his master. By the time his family had turned his way, he had a hand over his mouth as he instinctively cowered on the floor, waiting for the blow to fall.

As one, they turned to the door, too shocked to move at first. Jesse was the first to recover. Reigning in the urge to rush to Cody's side, he moved slowly so he wouldn't frighten him more so than he already was. "Cody, it's okay son," he spoke softly, reaching out with one hand to stroke down his arm. Fear stared back at him from deep blue eyes, seemingly darker in the pale face of his youngest. He wondered how many times his heart could break and yet continue beating. "Nobody's going to hurt you son," he promised.

Cody wanted to believe him, at one time he would have believed without question. That was before master had taught him better. Before he had seen his father hit his brother with a closed fist, something he'd never seen before.

"He's telling you the truth Toad," Matt spoke up from near the couch. He wanted to go to his brother, but at that moment he wasn't sure of the reaction he would get. The last thing he wanted was to spook Cody into running. In the condition he was in, there was no telling what might happen to him out there.

Cody stared at him in disbelief.

Matt let go a bark of laughter, "You're pretty good at communicating without words. I know what you saw Cody, but I kind of pushed Dad into a corner," he matter of factly explained.

He tilted his head, his eyes moving between the two men as if he were trying to determine if the danger was past. Satisfied that it was, he let himself relax a bit. A part of him was still waiting for the blow that hadn't come for his disobedience.

"You ready to eat?" Jesse asked. He wanted to praise him for talking. Hell, he wanted to beg him to say more, to point out that Rassy hadn't done anything nor had the world ended. He held back, however, some instinct telling him to let it go for now. If Cody came to the realization on his own, it would more likely sink in, allowing him to make the first break in the conditioning he had endured.

Cody nodded. Taking Jesse's hand, he let his father pull him back to his feet. Nothing more was said that night about what had happened, but something in the air had changed. Even more than getting Cody to communicate on paper had done, his words had given them back the hope they'd lost that they would succeed in bringing their youngest back to them from the hell Rassy had tried to sentence him to.

Hope y'all liked this chapter, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. I think their will probably only be one more chapter after this. I'll try not to take too long...now where have y'all heard that before? ;)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own High Mountain Rangers or Jesse Hawkes, not making any money, just cheap thrills.

Rating: FRT

Warnings: Angst

Justice

Chapter 11

"Dad, can I talk to you?" Matt hesitantly asked. At his father's nod, he sat down on the edge of the porch. Following his father's gaze, he wasn't surprised to see his brother once again in the corral with Cooper. It had been two weeks since they had come back here, two weeks since Cody had spoken, he had yet to speak again. "I think we need to see about getting Cody some counseling," he blurted out.

Jesse nodded, "I think you're right," he quietly responded.

Matt jerked, turning to stare at his father. "You do?"

Jesse chuckled, "You don't have to sound so surprised."

He gave his father a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I just expected..."

"An argument," Jesse finished for him. "I'll admit if you had suggested the same thing last week you would have gotten one."

"But now?"

"I'm not blind Matt, I can see that your brother needs help we can't give him," Jesse easily admitted. He had watched Cody over the past two weeks and while there had been some small improvement. He wasn't as tense as he had been when they'd first arrived home and he flinched less often now. Unfortunately those were the only signs of improvement. The first night in the cabin their sleep had been disturbed by the screams coming from Cody's room, two weeks later they were still a nightly occurrence. Yet, he still refused to speak. Even the conversations they'd had on paper hadn't yielded any further information about what Rassy had done to his youngest. Whether he feared their reaction or simply wasn't ready to speak of the hell he'd endured, Jesse had no idea. He suspected that it was a bit of both, but with Cody's unwillingness to speak of that time suspicion was all he had.

Matt couldn't contain the relieved sigh, he'd expected he'd have to argue at least half the day to get his father to agree. The reasons he had prepared were no longer needed and it took him a few minutes to gather his scattered thoughts. "I hope you don't mind, but when I went to town yesterday I called the doctor that treated Cody. He gave me the name of a psychiatrist in Tahoe," he said, handing his father a small piece of paper. "He said Dr. Stone specializes in helping people who are emotionally or mentally traumatized."

"When's the first appointment?" Jesse bit back a small chuckle at the pole-axed look on Matt's face. "I know you pretty well son," he smiled. "You wouldn't want to delay the counseling. You would have made an appointment and then you would have argued until I gave in."

Matt shook his head, amazed that his father knew him so well. "Monday at eleven, I thought we could get lunch afterwards, if Cody wants to."

Jesse nodded, "I wouldn't count on him wanting to go anywhere, but we can always get something to go."

"Yeah, that's why I was planning to order ahead of time," Matt grinned. "I thought we could stop at the trail head and have lunch."

"Think you're pretty smart," Jesse mock grumbled.

"Nope," Matt smirked, "I know I am."

Jesse turned his attention back to Cody. "I hate to upset him and this is going to do it," he sighed.

"You want me to tell him?" Matt offered.

He considered it, for about five seconds and then dismissed the idea with a shake of his head. "No, I'll take care of it." He stood up, "No time like the present." He'd never been one to put off an unpleasant task, now wasn't any different.

Matt remained on the porch, watching quietly as his father approached his brother. He smiled softly as a strong hand was laid on Cody's shoulder, his father leaning close, speaking quietly as he told his brother about the upcoming appointment with Dr. Stone. The sudden tenseness of Cody's back told him the moment the news had been given. He braced himself, ready to chase his brother down and bring him back. The slump of the younger man's shoulders told him that Cody had accepted the fact that he would have to speak to a stranger about the horrors he'd been through. Silently he prayed that his brother would be able to open up to Dr. Stone, that he would let her help him to recover.

Monday came too soon for Cody. When his father had told him about the appointment that had been made for him, he had felt as if a pit had opened and he was standing on the edge of it. How was he supposed to keep master's secrets if they made him see a doctor? He'd never been to a counselor before, but he knew that people like this Dr. Stone were trained to get the truth out of people. He didn't hold out much hope that he would be able to remain silent about his time with master. His father had insisted, however, that he needed to see this new doctor, that he needed help and he had to let her help him. He had known then that he had lost. He would have to see Dr. Stone, whether he liked it or not.

"You ready son?" Jesse asked from the doorway. He grimaced when Cody jumped, once more he fought the urge to drive to the prison and kill Rassy for what he'd done to his youngest.

Cody nodded, slipping his pencil and pad of paper into his pocket, he followed his father downstairs and outside. He swallowed his disappointment when he saw the three horses saddled and ready for travel. He had hoped for a few more minutes delay. With a heavy sigh, he moved to Cooper's side, and heaved himself into the saddle.

The ride down the mountain was quiet. Cody hadn't spoken since that first day home and neither Jesse or Matt felt like talking just then. As they rode lower, trees thinned out, giving way to expanses of cleared land and before any of them was quite ready the town of Tahoe came into sight. With Matt in the lead, they rode to the Ranger station on the edge of town, exchanging the horses for Frank's pick-up, Matt having radioed the day before to make the arrangements.

As they pulled into the driveway of Dr. Stone's office, Cody turned to his dad, a plea in his eyes. Jesse swallowed hard. He wanted more than anything to give his son the answer he wanted, but he knew that Cody needed this, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Tamping down on the urge to release his son from the task ahead of him, he reassuringly patted the boy's hand. "It'll be okay Cody," he softly assured his son.

Cody sighed, he hadn't expected his father to change his mind, but he had been unable to resist trying. A minute later he was following his father through the door of the the doctor's office, his brother behind him. While his father signed him in, Matt led him to a set of comfortable looking chairs. He was relieved that there were three together like this, he'd feel less nervous with his family surrounding him. With that thought in mind, he took the center chair. Matt sat down in the chair on his left, leaving the one on the right for their father.

"You doing okay son?" Jesse quietly asked when he joined them. He sighed at the short, jerky nod he received in response. He supposed it was the most he could hope for at the moment. They weren't there long when the doctor stepped into the waiting room.

"Mr. Hawkes?" the graying doctor asked.

"Yes ma'am," Jesse replied, standing up and making the introductions.

Carol Stone waved him back to his seat before she kneeled in front of Cody. "Hello Cody," she softly greeted her young patient. "I'm Dr. Stone, I look forward to getting to know you," she continued with a smile, ignoring the lack of response coming from the young man in front of her. "First, however, I'd like to spend a few minutes talking to your dad, is that okay with you?" She didn't really expect a response, and she wasn't disappointed. This was the way she handled all of her patients, always giving them the chance to object to something if it bothered them. Even when she knew there was unlikely to be a response, still she offered them the chance...eventually, all but the most hopeless case would respond. She pushed herself to her feet, "Mr. Hawkes if you could come with me please."

"I'll be right back son," he whispered to Cody. Standing up, he followed the doctor from the waiting room and into her office.

Carol turned around, facing Jesse and leaned against the edge of her desk. "You seem like the type of man who doesn't waste time beating around the bush," she said.

"You're a good judge of character," he smiled.

"When Ranger Kelly made the appointment for your son she gave me only the barest of information, could you tell me what's going on with Cody?"

Jesse took a deep breath, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Two months ago a man with a grudge against my family escaped from prison. He tracked us down in San Fransisco. Cody was home alone, when my older son and I returned we walked into a nightmare." He went on to tell her of the events that occurred in that warehouse and the deal Cody had made with the devil.

"How did that make you feel?" Carol interrupted him.

He glared at her, "How the hell do you think it made me feel?" He instantly felt ashamed. It wasn't Dr. Stone's fault that his son had been hurt. "I'm sorry,that was uncalled for."

"It's quite alright Mr. Hawkes, I would have been surprised if you hadn't become angry. I would like an answer to the question though," she pushed on.

He sighed, "I felt helpless, terrified and furious," he admitted.

"Understandable, and what do you feel now?"

"Why are you asking about me? You're supposed to be helping Cody," he snapped.

"I am helping Cody," she solemnly replied. "Cody wasn't the only one hurt by this man, you and your other son suffered too."

"Maybe so, but you should focus on Cody."

"Oh I will Mr. Hawkes, make no mistake about that. However, you must realize that this situation has been and will affect your entire family, not just Cody. I want you to be aware of what you're feeling as well and know that if you ever need to talk you are welcome to come to me. Even if it's just to get a referral to one of my colleagues," she added with a smile.

He nodded, "I hadn't thought of that and to answer your question I still feel helpless and angry," he admitted.

"With yourself too I'd wager. Don't answer that right now Mr. Hawkes, just give it some thought," she told him before he could get a word out. "Now, tell me about what happened after Cody was found." By the time Jesse had finished, she felt sick, though she hid it well. "Thank you for sharing that with me Mr. Hawkes, I know it couldn't have been easy. Just know that it will help me in treating Cody."

"Do you think there's hope that he can recover?" he hesitantly asked.

"Yes and no," she replied. She smiled softly at the puzzled look he shot her way. "The fact that you were able to get him to communicate through writing is a very good sign, especially considered how relatively quickly that occurred. That being said, you must understand that Cody will never be the boy he was before this experience. Every experience we go through affects who we are, the more traumatic the experience the greater the effect. I believe there is hope that, with time, Cody can become a self-sufficient, reasonably well adjusted young man."

Jesse nodded, feeling a bit of hope. "Is there anything else I can tell you?"

"Not at this time," she replied. "I believe now would be a good time to speak with Cody and perhaps you could let Matt know that I'd like to speak to him after I talk to Cody." She walked him back to the waiting room, returning to her office a short time later with the youngest of the Hawkes family.

Cody sat down, his eyes on the floor. He didn't know what to expect, but the doctor sitting down next to him wasn't it.

"Do you have anything you'd like to ask me Cody?" Carol asked, her voice friendly and light. She wasn't surprised when the only response was a quick head shake. "Okay, well then I'll ask you some questions if that's okay."

He shrugged, he didn't know why she was asking.

"Can you tell me why you won't talk?" Many in her position would have started with expressing sympathy, she had dealt with enough crime victims however to know that they often reacted badly to such expressions. It was her belief that the best way to help a victim was to speak to them as she would anybody else, effectively forcing them to see themselves as so much more than just a victim. She waited patiently while Cody wrote on the notepad he pulled from his pocket. Taking it, she read what he'd written.

"Your master told you not to talk?" she asked for confirmation. "What will happen if you talk?" Again she waited as the young man next to her wrote out his answer in a shaky hand. "I see, but your father told me you spoke a couple of weeks ago and yet you're still here, as is your family," she carefully pointed out. They continued on in this vein until it was time for the session to come to an end. Walking back to the waiting room, she left her patient in the care of his father with instructions for him to set up an appointment for the following week.

"Matt could I speak to you for a moment?" she quietly asked.

Sighing heavily, he stood and followed her back down the hall to her office.

"How are you holding up under all of this?" she asked without preamble.

Matt shrugged, "I'm managing," he mumbled.

"It's not easy, though, is it?"

"No, but I'm not the important one here."

"Of course you are," she countered. "How do you expect Cody to heal if you and your father don't?"

"Look Doctor Stone my dad already told me what you said to him so I'll save you some time. Yes I'm angry and it hurts to watch my little brother suffering, knowing I can't do anything about it, but I'll deal with that on my own."

Carol sighed, god save her from stubborn men. "I'm sure you'll do your best, just remember that you don't have to."

"I'll remember," he mumbled. "Is that all?"

"Yes that's all," she replied. Sadly she watched him leave her office. She hoped that for Cody's sake if nothing else the other members of his family would let somebody help them deal with their own emotions.

The weeks passed, turning into months and to Carol Stone's pleasure she found herself having sessions with Cody's entire family, as well as still seeing Cody by himself. The whole family was making great progress, the older two finally having accepted that it was okay to be angry with Cody for giving himself over to a madman. Once they had accepted that, they had been able to work through that anger, on their own and with Cody. Now, three months into therapy, that anger was no longer affecting their interactions with the youngest.

She smiled when she remembered the tears and recriminations that had been shed the day they'd finally acknowledged their anger, not only to themselves but to Cody. It had been hard for Cody to hear the anger directed at him, but he had come a long way in his therapy. By the time the session, running into overtime, had ended, he had accepted that they had a right to their anger, but that he needn't feel guilt for the decision he had made. It had helped, of course, when both Matt and Jesse admitted that they would have done the same in Cody's shoes. That had also been the first day Cody had spoken aloud since that first day at his father's cabin. That it had been to defend himself, rather than others had been a significant turning point for the young man.

Following that session, progress had continued at a fast pace. Cody had shed many tears in her office as he recounted the nightmare he had endured at the hands of Larry Rassy. As with most victims, it had helped him immensely to tell another human being about the horrors he'd faced. It had been during one of these times that talk turned to the way he had been found and what it might mean. It had been a great relief to his family to discover that Cody hadn't suffered through rape, though it had been used as a threat against him. The plug had apparently been a way of humiliating him, while reminding him that he could be used by Rassy or others at any time his captor chose to take that step. Keeping him naked and chained had just been one more act of humiliation meant to keep him in his place.

Carol glanced at the clock, it was almost time. Making a final note in the file, she put it in her briefcase and stood up. Cody was sure he was ready for this step and she agreed. She would, however, be there to help pick up the pieces if they were wrong.

"Are you sure about this son?" Jesse asked for the tenth time that day.

Cody smiled sadly, understanding his father's concern. "No, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He turned to the older man, "I have to do this dad, if I don't then I'll never really be free." His deep blue eyes plead with his father to accept his need to do this.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," he lightly grumbled. "I will accept it though and I'll be right there with you."

"No," Cody shook his head. He hadn't told his father about this part. "I have to do this alone if it's going to mean anything."

"Cody..."

"Dad please, I need to do this."

Jesse sighed, "Can I at least come inside with you?"

"I was hoping you would," Cody replied, shooting him a nervous smile. "Looks like Matt and Carol are here," he had long since stopped calling her Dr. Stone, at her insistence.

Jesse turned his head to see Matt pull up next to him, the good doctor in the passenger seat. Taking a deep breath, he got out of the truck, meeting Cody at the front of it. "I want you to remember Cody that there is no shame in turning back. If you decide you're not ready for this, then we'll come back when you are."

Cody nodded, "Thanks dad." Bracing himself, he led the way towards the prison.

Even having made arrangements ahead of time, it still took a good hour to process through and into the visiting area of the prison. Wiping sweaty palms on his pants, Cody left his family behind and strode into the visitor's room with a confidence he wasn't entirely feeling. This would be the first time since his rescue that he had seen Larry Rassy. He hadn't even faced him at the trial, the judge allowing him to be questioned in chambers, allowing him to avoid the need to see his captor. He sat down at in an empty seat and waited. A moment later Rassy was brought in, flanked by two guards who roughly shoved him into the chair across from Cody. Swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, he picked up the phone.

"What are you doing here dog?" Rassy growled into the receiver.

"I'm not a dog," Cody calmly replied. The look of shock on Rassy's face gave him the confidence to go on, clearly the man hadn't expected him to break free. "I came to tell you that you lose Rassy."

"Do I?" Rassy smirked. He wasn't ready to give up on the torment he had inflicted on the boy before him. "You're not as free as you think you are boy. You're nothing but a worthless dog, it's all you'll ever be. Every time you look in the mirror you'll know that you're mine, nothing will ever change that."

Cody stared at him for a full minute. His laughter surprised him as much as it did Rassy, but man did it feel good. "You're a walking cliché Rassy, " he told him once he'd calmed down. "Goodbye prisoner 4732118," he coldly said before calmly hanging up the receiver. Standing up, he walked away without a backward glance. Stepping out of the visiting area, he rejoined his family and doctor a smile spreading across his face. He was finally free of the man who had terrorized him for so long.

The End

Sorry it took so long to finish this, thank you to all those who stuck with me until the end. Please review and tell me what you think.


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